


Soul Searching

by samsimpala



Series: The Messenger of God Saga [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, F/M, OFC - Freeform, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Soulless Sam Winchester, season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:49:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 44
Words: 121,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26673193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samsimpala/pseuds/samsimpala
Summary: Sam is back from Hell, but something is...off about him. However, Dean and Angela are just glad to have him back-until his actions get out of hand. How will Dean and Angela react when they find out Sam doesn't have his soul? How this affect his relationship with Angie? All of these questions will be answered in Soul Searching! Revision of Season 6. Sam/OC.
Relationships: Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Messenger of God Saga [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888270
Kudos: 6





	1. Exile on Main St. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Welcome to the fifth installment of the Messenger of God Saga! This is going to be a revision of Season 6 with my OC Angela Morgan added in. It will be written from Dean, Sam, and Angela's POV, so some scenes will be cut out. Like always, I do not own any aspect of Supernatural. I just own my OC Angela Morgan. Enjoy!

Dean and Angela were having drinks with Sid. Angela still had her diner uniform on.

"And thank God this is before Facebook, right?" Sid laughed. "Because it'd be me and that goat all over the internet. Don't get me wrong, right? No complaints." He added. "But if you'd have said to me, 'Hey, you—fifteen years from now? Suburbia'."

"Oh. Yeah." Dean replied, taking a swig from his beer.

"Right?" Sid laughed.

"Believe me, we know." Angela nodded, laughing slightly.

"So, you two have traveled around a lot, huh?" Sid asked.

"Mm-hmm." Dean hummed.

"Yeah, our whole lives, really." Angela shrugged. "That's how Dean and I met. He's basically my surrogate brother."

"And?" Sid pressed curiously.

"I don't know." Dean shrugged.

"Come _on_ ," Sid replied. "You both moved into town—what, a year ago?"

"Yeah, thereabouts." Dean nodded.

"So, I've been buying you two beers for a year." Sid shrugged. "And I think that means you two owe me a couple of gory details."

"Oh, no." Angela laughed. "There's not much to tell, you know?"

"It's, um…We lived on the road…" Dean trailed off. "Took, uh, crap jobs that nobody else wanted."

"Like?" Sid asked curiously.

Dean and Angela shared a look. "Like…Pest control." Dean settled.

"Really?" Sid asked. "Pest control."

"Yeah." Angela nodded. "You get to work with a partner. You get to help people."

Dean nodded in agreement. "You have no idea what's in some people's walls. It could eat 'em alive."

"Yeesh," Sid replied.

"Of course, that was then," Dean replied. "And now…"

"You two are practically respectable." Sid teased.

Dean and Angela looked at each other and laughed a bit.

"Yeah. Wow. I guess so." Dean replied.

"That's kind of scary, actually," Angela added.

The waitress walked over to their table, accidentally brushing against Angela. "Thanks, guys." She smiled, letting her hand linger on Dean's arm.

"Thank you." Sid smiled as she walked away. "I think she likes you."

Dean held up the receipt with her phone number on it. "You think?"

Sid went wide-eyed. "What is it with you?!" he exclaimed. "Like, every time!"

"It's like chicks specifically dig unavailable guys," Dean replied, ripping up the receipt. "Who knew?"

"I will see you tomorrow." Sid clapped Dean on the back. "And I'll see you at the diner, Angela. Good seeing you again."

"Thanks, man." Dean nodded.

"Bye Sid." Angela waved. "I'll have some fresh coffee ready for ya tomorrow."

As Dean and Angela headed for Dean's truck, they heard a woman scream in the distance. Dean grabbed a flashlight from his truck, and they entered a deserted building. They found some claw marks and blood.

~/~\~

Dean sat at his computer, on the phone.

"And no one's called about a missing person?" Dean asked. "No, this would have been today." He added. "So, no reports of anything around Vineland and Oak street, near that hotel renovation?" he asked. "Uh, call it a hunch. I've been a cop for a long time." He said as he noticed Lisa coming downstairs. "Okay, yeah. No, I'll call you tomorrow. You too, man. Bye."

"Hey." Lisa smiled softly. "Who was that?"

"Sid." Dean lied. "I'm just setting up a poker game."

"It's 11:30," Lisa replied.

"Is it really?" Dean asked, looking at the clock. "Well, that explains why he was asleep when I called. I'll be right up."

"Okay." Lisa nodded, turning to walk away.

~/~\~

Dean was driving in his truck when he noticed the same claw marks from the night before on a nearby light pole. Dean pulled out his phone and called Angela.

"Angie, hey." Dean greeted.

~/~\~

Angela was clocking out when her phone rang. "Hey, Dean. What's up?"

~/~\~

"Can you meet me near the Glickmans' place?" Dean asked. "I found the same weird claw marks from last night…"

~/~\~

Angela got into her car and started it up. "Yeah, I just got off of work, so I'll be there in five." She said before hanging up.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela investigated the claw marks. Dean and Angela had their guns raised. Dean kicked in the door of someone's shed and was startled by a small dog.

"Dean! Angela!" Sid called as he jogged by. "Are those guns?"

"No, no. Yeah." Dean shrugged. "Well, it's—we have permits for them."

"What, to shoot the Glickmans' dog?" Sid raised a brow.

"We thought there was a possum or two in there." Angela lied.

"Remember how I said that Angie and I were in pest control?" Dean added. "Well, possums carry rabies, so…" he trailed, imitating a gunshot.

Sid nodded. "I did not know that."

"Oh, yeah." Dean nodded. "Yeah. Possums—possums kill, Sid."

Angela frowned as she noticed sulfur near the door of the shed. "Oh, crap." She leaned down.

"What's that?" Sid asked curiously, leaning over the fence.

Angela looked up at Dean. "Sulfur."

"Hey, uh, Sid, we gotta go," Dean said suddenly.

"Hold on, Dean! Angela!" Sid called after them as they took off. "What the hell?"

~/~\~

"Alright, I'm gonna grab some stuff from the kitchen, alright?" Angela said as she walked off.

Dean nodded as he opened the trunk of the Impala and started packing some weapons.

"Hey," Lisa said, leaning against the garage door.

Dean looked up suddenly. "Just getting a hammer."

"So, I just ran into Sid." Lisa continued. "Did you and Angela almost shoot a Yorkie?"

Dean paused for a moment and nodded. "Technically."

"What's going on?" Lisa sighed.

"Nothing," Dean assured.

"How come I don't believe you?" she asked, walking over toward him.

"I just—Angie and I, I-I don't know, we have this spidey sense." Dean shrugged.

"Okay." Lisa nodded. "Are you two hunting something?"

"Honestly?" Dean asked. "Uh, at first, we thought that we were. But I'm pretty sure that we got worked up over nothing. It's, uh, you know…"

"It happens," Lisa assured.

"Are you sure?" Dean asked. "I'll tell you what—just because, you know, I have an OCD thing about this, why don't, uh, why don't you and Ben go to the movies, hit the Cheesecake Factory—you know, hang out with the teeming masses, and Angie and I will do one last sweep just to be one-hundred percent."

Lisa looked up at him for a moment. "Okay. Be careful."

"Careful's my middle name." Dean shrugged.

Lisa pressed a kiss to Dean's cheek and left.

~/~\~

In the kitchen, Angela was looking through some cabinets when suddenly the lights started flickering. She frowned and searched the room when suddenly she was confronted by Lucifer, possessing Sam.

"Hey, Angie," Lucifer smirked. "Thought you'd seen the last of me, huh?"

Angela went wide-eyed and stumbled backward. "You can't—

"Sure I can." Lucifer stalked towards her. "God brought back good ol' Cas…" he shrugged.

She shook her head, terrified as he backed her up against the wall. He started choking her, and after a few moments, she started to blackout, when suddenly someone shoved a syringe in her arm, saving her.

~/~\~

Dean continued rummaging in the trunk of the Impala when the lights in the garage started to flicker. As Dean searched the garage he was suddenly confronted by Azazel.

"Hiya, Dean." Azazel grinned evilly. "Look at what the apocalypse shook loose. You have fun? Sniffing that trail? 'Cause I sure had fun."

"You can't be…" Dean said, wide-eyed.

"Oh, sure I can!" Azazel laughed.

"No." Dean shook his head.

"Yeah, kiddo," Azazel replied. "The big daddy brought your pal Cas back, right? So why not me? Add a little spice to all that—that sugar." He smirked.

Dean shot Azazel.

"Really?" Azazel asked. "After all we've been through together? You know you got a great little life, here. Your surrogate sister. Pretty lady—real understanding. Hell of a kid." He added. "And how do you keep your lawn so green? I mean, come on, Dean. You never been what I'd call brainy, but did you really think you were gonna get to keep all of this?" he asked. "You had to know that we were coming for you sometime, pal. You can't outrun your past."

Azazel started to strangle Dean, and just as he passed out, someone came from behind to save him.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela woke up in the abandoned house, confused. Angela looked at Sam wide-eyed as if she had seen a ghost.

"Hey, Dean. Angie." Sam greeted. "I was expecting, uh…I don't know, a hug, some holy water in the face—something."

"So, I'm dead." Angela murmured. "That can be the only explanation. Lucifer got me, and now—

"Lucifer?" Dean asked. "No, A-Azazel was in the house…"

"Lucifer? Azazel?" Sam raised a brow. "That's what you guys saw?"

"Saw?" Dean asked, confused.

"You two were poisoned," Sam explained. "So whatever kind of crazy crap you think you been seeing, it's not real."

"So, then, are you…real?" Angela asked softly, walking towards Sam slowly. "Or—or are Dean and me still—

"I'm real," Sam assured. "Here, let me save you both the trouble. All me." He said before cutting himself with a silver blade. He put some salt in a jug of water and drank it. "That's nasty." He muttered.

"Sammy?" Dean breathed.

"Yeah. It's me." Sam smiled slightly.

Dean went and hugged Sam tightly. After a few moments, they broke apart and Angela walked up to him. Angela looked up at Sam and threw herself at him.

"You're here." She whispered tearfully. "You're really here." She said before kissing him. However, as they kissed, Angela felt something… _off_ about it. She just couldn't place what…It was as if Sam had no emotion behind the kiss.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Dean cut in. "You—you—you were—you were gone, man. I mean, that—that was it. How the hell are you—

"I don't know." Sam shrugged.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Angela frowned.

"I mean, no idea," Sam replied. "I-I'm just back."

"Well, was it God, or—or—or Cas?" Dean asked. "I mean, does Cas know _anything_ about it?"

"You tell me," Sam said. "I've been calling. Cas hasn't answered my prayers. I don't even know where he is." He explained. "I mean, I was…down there, and then, next minute, it's raining, and I'm lying in that field, alone. It's kind of hard to go looking for whatever saved you when you got no leads. But I look. I mean, believe me, I looked…for weeks."

Angela frowned. "Wait, _w-weeks_?" she stammered. "How long have you been back?"

Sam looked down at the floor, not answering her.

Dean squared his shoulders. "How long you been back, Sam?"

"About a year," Sam admitted.

"About a year?!" Dean and Angela repeated.

"Dean, Angie—

"You have been back practically this whole time?!" Dean snapped. "What, did you lose the ability to send a friggin' text message?!"

"You finally, had what you wanted, Dean." Sam reasoned.

"I wanted my brother, alive!" Dean yelled. "And what about Angie, man? All she wanted was you."

"You wanted a family," Sam replied. "You have for a long time, maybe the whole time. I know you. You only gave it up because of the way we lived. But you had something, and you were building something. And Angie was building a life away from hunting. You two were _safe_. Had I shown up, you two would have just run off. I'm sorry."

"What have you been doing?" Angela asked.

"Hunting." Sam shrugged.

"You left us alone, and you were flying solo?" Dean frowned.

"Not solo," Sam assured.

"What?" Dean's brows knitted together.

"I hooked up with some other people," Sam explained.

"You? Working with strangers?" Dean asked.

"They're more like family," Sam explained. "And they're here."

Sam took Dean and Angela into the adjoining room.

"Hey." Gwen greeted.

"Hi." Dean shook her hand.

She looked him over. "My God, you have delicate features for a hunter."

Dean's face scrunched up in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Dean, Angie, Gwen Campbell." Sam introduced.

"Good to finally meet you two," Gwen said. "Sam's gone on and on."

"And this is Christian…and Mark. Campbell." Sam added.

"Hi." Mark greeted.

"Cam—Campbell?" Angela raised a brow.

"Like…" Dean started.

"Like your mom, Dean," Christian replied.

"Third cousin." Sam pointed to Gwen. "Third cousin." He pointed to Christian. "Something, something twice removed." He pointed to Mark. "They grew up in the life, like mom and like us."

"I thought all of Mary's relatives were gone," Angela said.

"And I'm sorry," Dean said. "It's just, you know, why didn't we know about any of you?"

"Cause they didn't know about you," Samuel said suddenly. "Not until I brought you all together."

"Samuel?" Dean breathed.

"Guys, give me a few minutes with these three, please," Samuel instructed.

Mark, Christian, and Gwen left the room.

Samuel looked between Dean and Angela. "Lot of resurrection in your faces today. It's alright. Take a minute."

"It's gonna take a little more than a minute," Dean replied. "I mean, what the hell? H-how did this happen?"

"We're guessing whatever pulled Sam up pulled me down," Samuel explained. "So, whatever this is, we're both a part of it."

"But you don't know what it is," Angela said.

"Bingo." Samuel nodded.

"And you have no leads? Nothing?" Angela asked. "Well, this, this is, uh…no more doornails coming out of that door, is there?"

"As far as we know, it's Samuel, and it's me," Sam replied, shrugging slightly.

"Okay, are Angie and I the only ones here that—that—that thinks that this can't all just be fine?" Dean cut in.

"Believe me, you're not," Samuel assured. "I wanted to come get you. And Angela. Sam was adamant about leaving you two out, so we did. Until this."

"Right." Dean nodded. "So, then you ended up in my home how?"

"I got hit before you guys did," Sam explained. "A few days ago. Dosed up with poison."

"By?" Angela asked.

"Couple of djinn," Sam replied.

"Djinn?" Dean frowned. "I thought those were—were cave-dwelling hermit-type. That's pretty exotic."

"Not anymore, at least." Sam sighed. "These…look like regular people. They can blend in. And all they got to do to kill you is touch you." Sam explained. "Their toxins get in your system, all of a sudden you're hallucinating your worst nightmare, and pretty soon you O.D."

"Well, then how are you breathing air?" Dean asked curiously.

"Samuel had a cure," Sam said, shrugging.

Angela looked at Samuel, slightly shocked. "You got a _cure_ for djinn poison?"

"Oh, I know a few things." Samuel smiled slightly. "Stick around, I'll show you and Dean a few things."

"Uh…Okay, why are these things after us?" Dean asked.

"Well, you did stake one a while back," Sam replied. "After they came for me, we were pretty certain that they were gonna go gunning for you guys next."

Dean went wide-eyed with concern. "Lisa and Ben—they're at the house right now. If that thing comes back—

"It's alright," Samuel assured. "I already sent someone over there to watch 'em."

"You got to take me home right now," Dean demanded.

~/~\~

Dean ran inside of the house as soon as they arrived.

"Lisa?! Lisa?!" he looked around frantically. "Ben?! Ben!"


	2. Exile on Main St. Part 2

Dean tried calling Lisa, just before she and Ben entered.

"Where the hell have you been?" He asked, relieved to see them.

Lisa looked at him, clearly confused. "We—we were at the movies." She replied. "You knew that."

Dean hugged Lisa tightly.

"Dean, ow," Lisa said.

"What happened?" Ben asked, confused.

"Go upstairs and pack a bag," Dean instructed.

"Where are we going?" Lisa asked.

"I'm taking us to a friend's house," Dean answered. "Go. It's okay. Go on up. I'll be there in a sec."

"What the hell?" Lisa replied.

"Um…" Ben said, his eyes falling on Sam as he and Angela walked into the room.

"Oh, my God." Lisa breathed.

"Lisa, Ben, I don't know if you remember—

"Sam." Lisa cut Dean off.

~/~\~

Bobby opened up the door and sighed when he saw Dean and Angela. "Dammit."

"It's good to see you, too, Bobby," Angela sassed. "It's been a while."

"If you two are here, something's wrong." Bobby sighed.

"Bobby, this is Lisa and Ben." Dean introduced.

"Hi." Lisa waved.

Bobby looked at Lisa and Ben. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you," Bobby replied, letting them in. "Mi casa es su casa. Maybe you want to just go upstairs. TV's broken, but there's plenty of Reader's Digest." He added. "Just don't touch the décor, okay? Assume it's all loaded."

Lisa and Ben went upstairs.

"So…" Dean started.

"Hey, Bobby." Sam greeted.

Bobby paused for a moment before nodding. "Sam."

Angela looked at Sam and Bobby. "You knew?" She asked angrily. "You _knew_ Sam was alive?!"

"Yeah," Bobby admitted.

"How long?" Dean asked.

"Look—

"How long?!" Dean repeated, raising his voice.

Bobby sighed. "All year."

Angela shook her head. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" she snapped.

"And I'd do it again," Bobby replied.

"Why?!" Dean snapped.

"Because you and Angie got out!" Bobby replied. "You two walked away from the life. And I was so damn grateful, you got no idea."

"Do you have any clue what walking away meant for me? For Angie?" Dean narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah—a woman and a kid and you two not getting your guts ripped out at age 30," Bobby replied. "That's what it meant."

"That woman and that kid—I went to them because you asked me to," Dean replied. "And Angie came with because I wanted her to have someone to lean on."

"Good." Bobby nodded.

"Good for who?" Angela cut in. "Dean and I were sick with grief!" She added. "We both collected hundreds of books, trying to find anything to bust you out!" She looked at Sam.

"You both promised that you'd leave it alone," Sam replied.

"Of course, we didn't leave it alone! Sue us!" Dean snapped. "A damn _year?_ You couldn't put us out of our misery?"

"Look, I get it wasn't easy." Bobby cut in. "But that's life! And it's as close to happiness as I've seen hunters get. It ain't like I wanted to lie to you two. But you were out."

"Do we look out to you?" Angela asked harshly.

~/~\~

Lisa was sitting on the steps as Dean approached her.

"How's he doing?" Dean asked.

"He's okay." Lisa nodded. "How are you? How's Angela?"

"Look, I know Bobby's a little crotchety, but he's great," Dean explained. "He's gonna look after you guys. Me, Angie, and Sam, we're gonna head out."

"For how long?" Lisa frowned.

Dean sighed deeply. "I'm so sorry, Lisa."

She straightened up slightly. "For what?"

"Those things were coming for me and Angie," Dean replied. "And I should've known."

"How could you know a monster was gonna show up?" Lisa asked.

"I should've known," Dean repeated. "I should've known that if I stayed with you that something would come because something always does. But I was stupid and reckless and…You can't outrun your past."

Lisa sighed, realization hitting her. "You're saying goodbye."

"I'm saying I'm sorry…for everything," Dean replied. "Everything."

"You're an idiot," Lisa replied. "I mean, I know it wasn't greeting-card perfect, but we were in it together."

"I was a wreck half the time." Dean shrugged.

"Yeah, well, the guy that basically just saved the world shows up at your door, you expect him to have a couple of issues." Lisa retorted. "And you're always so amazing with Ben. You know what I wanted, more than anything was a guy that Ben could look up to like a dad." She explained. "So, you're saying it's all bad, Dean? 'Cause it was the best year of my life."

~/~\~

"What's the plan?" Angela asked.

"Well, right now, we stock up, get set," Samuel replied.

"So you're saying there is no plan," Dean said.

"We'll find 'em," Samuel assured. "Just got to be patient."

"Yeah, okay." Dean scoffed. "Oh, here's an idea. Why don't we go kill the sons of bitches that broke into my home?"

"Relax, Dean." Christian cut in. "We got it handled. Djinn are hard to draw out. Now, you and Angela have been out of the game for a while. Leave it to the professionals."

"Yeah. Sure." Angela nodded. "Tiny suggestion. You see, djinn are easier to draw out when you got bait. They want Sam, Dean, and me."

"And they know where I live." Dean continued. "Now, we haven't been hunting in a while, but I'm gonna stick my neck out and guess that's a pretty good place for us to go." He added. "See? It's almost like we're professionals."

~/~\~

Gwen picked up a magazine from the table. "Huh, I love this one." She smirked. "Yours or, uh, your wife's?"

Marked picked up a photo.

"Hey." Dean grabbed the photo. "Do me a favor—don't touch that."

Sam picked up a golf club. "Golf?" He raised a brow. "Really?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "It's a—it's a sport." He defended.

~/~\~

Dean was in the kitchen washing his face over the sink. Angela leaned against the counter next to him.

"Nice house," Samuel commented.

"Oh, yeah." Dean rolled his eyes. "Go ahead, say it—call me a soccer mom. Whatever."

"Soccer mom, huh?" Samuel raised a brow. "Well, I'll have to look that up on the 'intranet'. You know, believe it or not, I…I get it, Dean." He shrugged. "You wanted a normal life. Your mom wanted a normal life, too. You remind me of her, actually. The attitude, for one thing." He added as Dean rolled his eyes. "Your brother tell you and Angela what we been dealing with the past few months?"

"No, not really." Dean shook his head.

"I've never seen anything quite like it," Samuel replied. "Been working 'round the clock."

"What's going on?" Angela questioned.

"We don't know." Samuel shrugged. "But whatever it is, it goes way past a couple of djinn acting off—nocturnals attacking in broad daylight, werewolves out on the half-moon, creatures that we've never even seen before," Samuel explained. "We don't—we don't even know what they are. I'm knee-deep in half-eaten human hearts and exsanguinated 10-year-old, and it's all making me…uneasy."

"So what's your theory?" Angela asked.

"You tell me. All we really know is it's all hands on deck." Samuel replied. "We're counting on each other right now. That's how it is with Campbells. We need you two."

"Look, I hear you, but…" Dean trailed off.

"You don't know what you two are a part of," Samuel replied. "Dean, you had ancestors hacking the heads off vamps on the Mayflower. Angela, you come from a long line of hunters from all over the world." He added. "We're out there _dying_ , trying to get in front of whatever this is."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela approached Mark who was in a truck looking through a monocular.

"Hey." Angela greeted. "You don't really say much, do you?"

"Enough." Mark shrugged.

"Any sign of 'em?" Dean asked.

"Three djinn off in the trees," Mark replied. "Here." He handed Dean the monocular.

~/~\~

"Those djinn are just sitting out there, watching us," Dean said. "Everybody's got to clear out."

"What?" Christian raised a brow.

"They're not gonna come in here until me, Dean, and Sam are alone." Angela shrugged.

"So, what, I'm supposed to leave you here with no backup?" Samuel frowned.

"Angie's right." Sam nodded. "They're smart. They'd wait till they weren't outnumbered."

"Alright, we won't be far." Samuel conceded. "You call when they come, you hear? Alright, pack up. We're out of here."

~/~\~

"You guys okay?" Sam asked.

"Oh, yeah," Angela replied sarcastically.

"Yeah?" Sam raised a brow.

Dean shook his head. "No, this is…This is crazy. I mean, you, Grandpa. Whoever brought you back…"

"They don't want to be found." Sam finished.

"Yeah, we get that." Angela shrugged. "But who are they, and what do they—what do they want? Why?"

"That's a good question." Sam nodded.

"Do you…Do you remember it?" Angela asked.

Sam's brows knitted together. "What?"

"The Cage." Dean cut in.

"Yeah." Sam shrugged.

"You want to—" Dean started.

"No." Sam cut him off.

"Well, if anybody can relate…" Dean started.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it," Sam stressed. "I'm back. I get to breathe fresh air, have a beer, hunt with my family, see you and Angie again. So why exactly would I want to think about Hell?"

"And you really think…" Angela started, looking out the window. "Dean." She said.

Sid and his wife were being attacked by djinn. Dean and Angela started to run over.

~/~\~

Sam stopped Dean and Angela. "They're dead, and you two know it."

"This is happening because of me!" Dean snapped, running off.

"Dean!" Angela yelled.

~/~\~

Dean knelt next to Sid. "Sid." He shook him. Suddenly, he was attacked by djinn.

"You made it through that last trip, so how about a big, fat double dose?" The djinn growled. "Bad news—it'll kill you. The good news? At least you'll go fast. That's for our father you son of a bitch."

Dean started to hallucinate Lisa and Ben.

"I just—I-I couldn't sleep at that house," Ben said.

"It's okay." Lisa smiled. "Don't worry. We'll call Dean."

"Ah, don't worry about them, Dean," Azazel smirked. "Worry about me."

"No!" Dean yelled.

Dean saw Azazel grab Ben and Lisa was dragged up the wall.

"There, there, kiddo." Azazel soothed.

"You stay away from him!" Dean demanded. "Lisa!"

"Drink it." Azazel put his bleeding wound to Ben's mouth.

"Ben, no!" Dean exclaimed.

"You'll feel better," Azazel assured.

"No!"

"It's all your fault." Lisa sobbed.

"Lisa!" Dean pleaded.

"This, something else—we both know that's details." Azazel shrugged. "There's something coming for this one, and you can't stop it. It's all your fault."

"Lisa!" Dean yelled.

"Drink it." Azazel looked down at Ben. "You'll feel better."

"Ben, don't!" Dean begged.

"Your fault. Can't stop it." Azazel replied.

Lisa screamed as she burned on the ceiling.

"No!" Dean yelled.

~/~\~

Samuel, Sam, and Angela fought Brigitta.

"I got her," Samuel said. "Go get Dean. Got her." He added. "Relax, hon. We're not gonna kill you." He said as Sam and Angela left. "Get her in the van. Quick, now, before they get back."

"Come on. Come on." Christian dragged her.

~/~\~

"So, Samuel and the cuzzes?" Dean asked.

"Don't know." Sam shrugged. "They left in a hurry. I'm meeting them back at their place. You guys, uh, you guys coming with me?"

"No." Dean shook his head. "No, I'm going back for Lisa and Ben."

"And uh—I got a job here and everything," Angela replied. "I just can't up and leave."

"I thought you guys said—

"We did," Dean replied. "We changed our minds."

"Look, I practically shoved you guys into this life," Sam said.

Angela's brows pulled together in confusion. "That's a funny way to put it, but alright."

"I'm just saying, I really wanted this life for you guys," Sam replied. "And when I told you guys to go, I-I though…you could have it, you know? But now I'm not so sure." Sam added. "I mean, Dean, you got to consider the fact that you'll be putting Ben and Lisa in danger if you do go back."

"So, what, it's better to leave them alone, unprotected, and then they're not in danger?" Dean raised a brow. "I did this to them. I made them vulnerable the moment I knocked on their door, and I can't undo that. But what I can do is go with the best option."

"I hear you." Sam nodded. "I guess I just, wish you two were coming, that's all."

"Why?" Dean asked curiously.

"Don't be stupid." Sam scoffed.

"No, seriously," Angela said. "I mean, you know plenty of good hunters. We're rusty."

Dean nodded in agreement. "I did something seriously stupid going out there. I almost got us all killed."

"And that's exactly why I want you guys," Sam replied.

"What are you talking about?" Angela asked.

"You two just…go. You don't hesitate." Sam replied. "Because you care, and that's who you are. Me? I wouldn't even think to try."

Angela frowned in confusion. "What? Yes, you would."

"No, Angie. I'm telling you, it's just better with you guys around." Sam replied. "That's all."

"Listen…" Dean held out the keys to the Impala. "She should be hunting. Take her."

"Thanks," Sam replied. "Really. But, I already got my car set up how I like it. I should hit the road."

"We'll walk you out," Dean replied. "Keep in touch, you hear?"

"Of course," Sam replied. "It was really good to see you two again."

Angela went to kiss Sam, but she was met with him turning and walking off to his car. He drove off.

Angela swallowed thickly and looked at Dean, who looked just as confused. "See ya later, Dean." She murmured, walking to her car. Maybe Sam just wasn't ready to jump back into a relationship after being in the cage…That _had_ to be it, right?


	3. Two and a Half Men Part 1

The Impala was mostly covered by a tan tarp, but the trunk was clear. Dean opened the trunk of the Impala and looked inside. He took out his sawed-off shotgun, checked the rounds, and then put it away. He closed the trunk, locked it, put the keys in his toolbox, and let the tarp settle back over the trunk of the Impala. He left the garage with a box labeled 'KITCHEN'.

~/~\~

Angela and Lisa were unpacking boxes as Dean walked in.

"Thank you so much for the help, Angela." Lisa smiled. "We really appreciate it."

"Oh, it's not a problem," Angela replied. "Y'all are family." She added with a smile. She noticed that Ben seemed a little down. "What's up, kiddo?"

"Nothing." Ben shrugged.

Lisa sighed. "At least wait until you've checked the place out before you hate it. Open mind, that's all I ask."

"Yeah, alright." Ben sighed, standing up. "I'll be back." He walked towards his bike.

"Oh, hey." Dean stopped him. "Where's the fire?"

"Just going to check out the block," Ben replied.

"And let your mom and Angie unpack the kitchen by themselves?" Dean raised a brow. "Come on."

"We'll go for lunch later," Lisa assured. "Scope out the neighborhood. Right?" She looked at Dean.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan." Dean nodded. He looked at Ben. "Come on, why don't you give me a hand?"

Dean and Ben left the room together.

~/~\~

Cop cars were on the street and policemen walked in and out of the front door of a house surrounded by crime scene tape. Sam was talking to a detective. He held a flyer for a missing child in his hand.

"Where'd you find them?" Sam asked.

"We found the parents upstairs." The detective replied. "Pretty brutal."

"Break in?" Sam raised a brow.

The detective shook his head. "No, the alarm never went off."

"Any leads on the baby?" Sam asked.

"None yet." the detective replied.

"So, what do you think? Think it's okay? Alive?" Sam pressed.

"I did yesterday." The detective nodded.

"Thank you." Sam nodded. He walked up the path towards the house, ducking under the crime scene tape that blocked it off.

~/~\~

The doorbell rang. Dean opened the front door to reveal a pizza delivery man.

"Hi." The delivery man smiled.

"Hey," Dean replied quietly, pulling out some cash.

"One cheese, one everything?" The delivery man asked.

"Yeah. Thank you." Dean replied, taking the pizzas. He handed the cash to the man. "There you go. Keep the change."

"Thanks." The delivery man smiled.

"Thanks." Dean nodded.

Dean turned and saw Lisa, Angela, and Ben standing behind him.

"What?" Dean shrugged.

"I thought we were going out?" Lisa raised a brow.

Dean smiled sheepishly. "Oh, yeah, I forgot. I'm sorry."

"Sure." Lisa pursed her lips. "I'll look for plates." She left the room.

Angela walked up to Dean, arms folded across her chest. "Forgot, huh?"

"I'm just worried," Dean admitted.

"Dean, I get it, but you're being _slightly_ overbearing." She sighed.

~/~\~

Sam left the house. He was talking to Samuel on his cellphone.

"Hey." Sam greeted. "So, I've been all over this. No sulfur. No EMF. I'm starting to think maybe it's not our kind of thing."

 _"Four couples slaughtered in one part of the state within days of each other,"_ Samuel explained. _"That's four babies taken from locked houses. Dammit! Explain to me how any version of that is natural."_

"No, no, I agree," Sam replied. "It's awful. I'm just saying this one might be on the police."

 _"Okay, so either we've got monsters grabbing babies to make baby stew, or we've got a bunch of psychotic yokels grabbing babies to make baby stew,"_ Samuel explained. _"Either way, it's baby stew, which is bad."_

Sam just sighed.

 _"Am I boring you?"_ Samuel asked. _"You got someplace you need to be?"_

"No, no, no, I get it," Sam replied.

 _"Good,"_ Samuel said. _"You know, sometimes I wonder about you, Sam."_

"Sometimes I wonder about me, too." Sam agreed.

 _"Well, I will go back over everything."_ Samuel sighed. _"See if there's anything we missed."_

Sam saw a sign for 'Harper Caine Security' in the front yard of the house. "Hey, the detective said the alarm in the house never went off," Sam said. "You mind taking a quick look-see if anyone else had a system from Harper Caine Security?"

 _"Yeah, sure,"_ Samuel replied. _"Any chance I get to hop on a computer."_

~/~\~

Dean entered the garage. The trunk of the Impala was open, and Ben was holding Dean's sawed-off shotgun.

"What the hell?" Dean ran over to him. "Hey, hey, give me that." He took the gun, put it back in the trunk, and closed it. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I just wanted to see it," Ben mumbled.

"Listen to me," Dean said seriously. "Don't _ever_ open this trunk. Do you understand me?"

"Okay, sorry." Ben murmured. "But I don't get it. You had your own rifle when you were my age."

"Ben, mark my words. You will never, ever shoot a gun, ever." Dean said.

"I know what's going on," Ben said suddenly. "You think something might be coming for us."

"There's nothing coming for us," Dean assured.

"I could do what you do!" Ben said. "You could teach me how to shoot—

"Shut up about the freaking gun, okay!" Dean snapped.

Ben visibly shrunk. "Okay. Sorry. I'm sorry." He left the garage.

~/~\~

Sam was sitting on a park bench, reading a file. His cell phone rang and he answered it.

 _"You were right,"_ Samuel said. _"Every family that got hit: Harper Caine Security. So I pulled the client records."_

"Right, to see if there are any other families who fit the profile," Sam said.

 _"There is another happy couple walking and talking, a 6-month-old baby, like all the others,"_ Samuel replied.

"What's the address?" Sam asked.

~/~\~

"Hey," Dean said.

"What happened?" Lisa asked. "Ben's been locked in his room for hours. He won't talk to me or Angela. Just said you yelled at him. What did he do?"

"Nothing," Dean assured.

"What did you do?" Lisa raised a brow.

"He got into my tools," Dean replied. "I shouldn't have got mad."

Lisa sighed. "You want to talk about this?"

"About?" Dean raised a brow.

"Yelling at Ben? Keeping us in the house?" Lisa asked.

"I'm trying to keep us safe, here." Dean defended.

"I'm not arguing, okay," Lisa assured. "You're the expert. I'm just asking. You said that you, Angela, and your brother killed whatever was after us. And then we moved just to be sure! So what is it, Dean? A monster? Or monsters in general?"

"I don't know." Dean sighed. "Something might come."

"What?" Lisa pressed.

"I don't know, I can't predict what's going to come after me," Dean replied.

"Well, I'm going to need some parameters," Lisa replied. "We have to live our lives here. I mean, at some point I have to work. Ben has school!"

"But if something happens on my watch…"

"I know you're trying to protect us, but you're kind of scaring me a little, too." Lisa cut him off before leaving the garage.

~/~\~

Sam pulled up in his car. He got out, opened his trunk, and got a gun and a flashlight. He walked up to the dark house. Sam jimmied the lock on the front door and entered the house. He found the husband and wife dead and bloody in the living room. He followed bloody footprints further into the house, gun and flashlight raised. He checked the closet, but it was empty. A man barreled into him, disarming him and knocking him to the ground. Sam kicked him in the nose and knocked his back, which allowed him to pull out his knife. He slashed the man's arm, and the wound hissed and burned. The man fled. Sam checked the rest of the house, eventually entering the laundry room when he heard a noise. He looked under the folding table and went wide-eyed.

~/~\~

Dean's cell phone rang. "Sam?" he answered, confused.

Sam was driving and talking on his cellphone. _"I need your help. Angie, too. Now."_

Dean's brows pulled together. "What's wrong?"

 _"I'm working this job,"_ Sam replied.

"Dude." Dean sighed.

 _"Look, I just need you guys with me on this, okay?"_ Sam asked.

"We're out," Dean replied. "We're staying out."

 _"Make an exception."_ Sam pressed.

"For what?" Dean asked.

 _"Look, I'm 30 minutes away and I will drive to your door and Angie's door if you don't meet me."_ Sam threatened.

"And what's so nuts that you gotta threaten a damn drive-by?" Dean retorted.

~/~\~

Dean drove up to Sam's car in his truck. Angela sat in the passenger seat of the truck. They got out and walked towards Sam.

"Where is it?" Dean asked.

"Strapped down in the back seat," Sam replied.

Dean and Angela looked in the back of Sam's car.

"Oh my God." Angela breathed.

"Welcome to the party." Sam sassed.

In the backseat, there was a baby in a car seat.

~/~\~

Dean and Lisa stood in the living room. Lisa held a pistol in her hands.

"Okay, show me," Dean said.

"I've got it," Lisa assured. "We've been over this."

"Humor me." Dean pleaded.

"Load clip," Lisa said as she loaded the clip. "Pull slide. Safety off. Safety on."

"And salt the windows and the doors," Dean added.

"Of course." Lisa nodded.

Dean sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't go."

"It's okay," Lisa assured. "You want to go, so go."

"You know what, Sam and Angie can handle this," Dean said.

"Dean, no offense, but if you don't walk out that door, I'm going to shoot you." Lisa smiled sweetly.

Dean sighed and grabbed his duffle bag and zipped it closed before throwing the strap over his shoulder. "I bet you're missing your ex right about now." Dean joked. "The uh, boring one?"

"God, shut up." Lisa laughed. "Just be careful, okay?"

Dean kissed Lisa and went to walk out the door.

"Bye," Dean said softly.

"Bye." Lisa smiled.

~/~\~

Dean drove up to Sam's car in his truck, got out, and pulled his duffle bag out of the truck bed.

"Alright, so what do we know about this thing?" Dean asked.

"Well, uh, it was fast and it freaked when I cut it with silver," Sam replied.

Angela pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright, so that narrows it down to…"

"A ghoul?" Sam replied. "A zombie, a shifter, or about a dozen other things."

"I don't recall seeing babynapping in the profile," Angela muttered.

"Yeah, exactly." Sam scoffed.

Sam, Dean, and Angela got in the car.

~/~\~

Angela sat in the backseat next to the baby. "Well aren't you just the cutest little thing." She cooed.

Dean looked back at the baby. "Well, feel free to speak up if you know anything."

Sam started the car and it started making a continual dinging sound.

"Seatbelt," Sam said as if it were obvious.

"What am I, in third grade?" Dean scoffed. "A car should drive, not be a little bitch."

Angela looked up from the backseat. "Dean. Language around the baby." She cut in.

The baby cried out and the three hunters looked at the baby.

"Yeah, don't take it personal," Dean said.

"Well boys, we need to get some supplies," Angela said, tickling the baby's stomach, causing giggle to erupt from the baby.

Sam looked at her in confusion. "I've got an arsenal in the trunk."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Not that kind."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela walked next to Sam, who pushed a grocery cart down a store aisle. The baby was in a baby seat in the front of the cart.

"Alright, I'm pretty sure that there's some kind of paste or jelly you're supposed to put on their butt," Dean said, looking around.

Sam grabbed a box off the shelf. "Like uh…like that?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, grab that."

Angela grabbed a box of diapers and put it in the cart.

Sam looked at Dean. "So, how do you know all this?"

"Lisa has a baby niece, so I've been on a few milk runs," Dean replied.

"Huh," Sam replied.

"Shut it." Dean rolled his eyes.

"I just said 'huh'." Sam defended.

"I just said 'shut it'." Dean retorted.

The baby started crying and Angela picked him up.

"Shh." She cooed. "It's okay. Guys, we gotta get moving." She said to Sam and Dean. "We've got the waterworks in like, T-minus ten."

"Yeah, okay." Sam nodded.

"Go," Dean said as he grabbed more stuff.

~/~\~

Angela held the baby as he cried loudly, trying to comfort him. Customers looked on disapprovingly. Sam loaded groceries on the counter for checkout while Dean tried to help Angela calm the baby.

"Shh…shh…" Angela cooed. "I promise, it's okay."

"Come on, hang in there, buddy." Dean pleaded. "Hang in there, man."

"Guys, make it stop." Sam hissed.

"How?" Angela and Dean asked.

"Everyone's staring at us like we're child abusers!" Sam replied. "Feed it!"

"We fed it!" Dean replied.

"Then what?" Sam raised a brow.

"I don't know." Angela shrugged. "Maybe he needs a diaper change."

Sam frowned in disgust. "Oh God, I hope not."

Angela tried to check if the baby's diaper needed changing. The baby continued to cry, and Angela tried to soothe him. A woman approached them.

"Aw…what's the matter?" She cooed. "What's his name?"

"Bobby." Dean cut in.

"John," Sam said at the same time.

Angela smiled at the woman. "His full name is Bobby John."

"Hi, Bobby John." The woman cooed. "Aren't you handsome? May, I?"

"Oh, uh, uh…" Angela trailed off.

The woman took Bobby John in her arms and it settled down.

"I see now, Bobby John's a little wet." The woman said. "No offense, but you three look exhausted. I don't mind. Lord knows I've changed a million diapers."

Angela noticed the woman's eyes flare in a security camera feed behind her. She was a shapeshifter.

Angela smiled sweetly at the woman. "That's a really nice offer, thank you, but I think we've got it."

"Oh, it's nothing." The shapeshifter assured. "Happy to help."

Angela squared her shoulders. "Give me the baby before I stab you in your neck."

"Angie!" Sam and Dean exclaimed, surprised at the outburst.

Angela pointed behind her and Sam and Dean saw from the camera feed that she was a shapeshifter.

The shapeshifter ran away with Bobby John. Sam, Dean, and Angela chased after her. Dean tried to grab her, but the flesh of her arm shed off in his hand. Sam ran into her and took Bobby John before running outside. Angela tackled the shapeshifter to the ground and pulled out her knife.

"Angie, no—

"Help me!" the shapeshifter yelled.

"Hey!" a store manager yelled as he approached.

"She's hurting me!" the shapeshifter cried.

"Get off of her!" the store manager yelled as he pulled Angela off of her.

Dean grabbed Angela's arm. "Okay, alright. We're going."

Angela reluctantly put away her knife, then she and Dean ran out of the store.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela got into Sam's car.

"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!" Dean rushed.

Sam drove away quickly. The shapeshifter ran outside and watched them leave. She saw the license plate number on Sam's car.

~/~\~

Dean was trying to strap Bobby John in his car seat while Sam drove.

"Angie, you shouldn't have done that," Dean said.

"You would have done the same thing!" Angel retorted.

Dean sighed. "The hell does a shifter want with a baby, anyway?"

"You tell me," Sam replied.

"And how the hell did it find us?" Angela asked.

Dean struggled with the baby seat. "Who designed this thing? NASA?"

"Dean, let me help." Angela tried.

"You know, it could have been following me this whole time," Sam said. "Since the baby's house."

"Alright, you know, we got to get off the road," Dean said. "Get Bobby John here someplace safe. Figure this thing out." He added. "Okay, alright, shh, shh. Easy, kid."

~/~\~

Dean was changing Bobby John's diaper on a motel bed. "Okay, alright, you know what?" Dean asked. "I'll pay you money if you sit still."

Sam and Angela laughed.

"This is like defusing an IED, with poop!" Dean exclaimed. "Okay, alright, alright, alright, you are golden, Bobby John. Time to hit the hay."

Dean picked up Bobby John and hummed 'Smoke on the Water' as he carried him over to a crib.

"Dean, you're just going to make it cranky again." Sam teased.

"Shh, it's working." Dean smiled. "Okay, if I put you down, you gonna be a man about it?" he looked at Bobby John as he put him in the crib.

"Huh," Sam said.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Just, you and Angie." Sam shrugged. "You guys are pretty good at this."

"Angie might be, but dude, I am _barely_ keeping this thing alive." Dean shook his head.

"No, no, no, seriously," Sam replied. "You've got a whole Dr. Huxtable vibe coming off of you. You're like…father material."

"Yeah, well I kind of had to be lately, you know." Dean shrugged. "Sink or swim, right?"

"You mean Ben," Sam said.

"Yeah, I mean Ben," Dean replied obviously. "I mean, I know he's not my kid, but I don't know, I'm starting to feel like yeah, he is. Then I think about the way we grew up, I don't know, I kind of feel like I have a chance to do something different with Ben, you know?"

"You sure about that?" Sam asked.

Dean looked at him, clearly confused. "What do you mean?"

"Look, you clearly care about the kid," Sam said.

"But?" Dean raised a brow.

"But moving them around? Keeping them on lockdown?" Sam asked. "I mean, you do have them on lockdown, right? How is any of that different from how we were raised?"

"So, you're saying…I'm not shoving anybody into this life, okay?" Dean defended. "This is temporary."

"Dad always said it was temporary, Dean," Sam replied. "He said it for 22 years. Look, I get it. You want to watch out for them. That's great. I'm just asking, how do you do that and not turn into Dad?"

An uncomfortable air surrounded the room.

"Oh my God," Angela said as she looked at the papers in front of her.

"What?" Dean asked curiously.

"This house on Elm." She said. "The mother was killed, the baby was grabbed, but daddy wasn't living in the house at the time so he's still alive." She added. She looked up at the boys. "What do you say we go and have a chat?"

"I say, let's," Dean replied.

The three hunters looked at Bobby John, who was still lying in his crib.

"You two go." Dean sighed.

"You sure?" Sam asked.

"Unless you've got a badge for Bobby John, yeah, I'm sure," Dean replied.

Sam and Angela left the room and Bobby John started to cry. Dean put a finger in his drink and reached down into Bobby John's crib. Bobby John immediately quieted down.

Dean smirked. "It's good, isn't it?"

~/~\~

"Hey, hey, Sam," Angela said as she caught up to him. "Before we go, can we talk for a minute?"

Sam shrugged and looked down at her. "Talk about what?"

"It's just, um…Are you okay?" she asked, her brows furrowing in concern. "I know you were down in the cage and everything, but you just seem... _different_ ," she added. "Y'know you can talk to me, right? I mean, I-I am your girlfriend, after all."

Sam sighed deeply. "That's the thing, Angie. I don't really _want_ to be in a relationship right now." he shrugged. "I'm just...not emotionally there yet, okay?" he added before walking off.

"Not ready? Sam," she jogged to catch up with him. "Please, can we talk-

"Angie, just drop it," Sam replied harshly.

Angela visibly shrunk back and nodded silently, clearly hurt.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were questioning a man in coveralls.

"I just, I still can't believe it." The man said. "I mean, it's one thing to die like that. The poor baby, just into thin air. No thanks to you guys."

"Well, that's why we're here," Angela replied. "You had filed for divorce? It's important, I'm sorry."

"She, uh." The man paused. "She cheated on me, and, well, I caught her."

"And did you know the other man?" Sam asked.

"No, I mean, I didn't 'catch her' catch her, but she lied to me." The man explained.

"Okay." Sam nodded.

"We hadn't, you know, in a while, and then she's pregnant." The man said.

"And what did she say?" Angela asked.

"She said it was mine." The man shrugged. "I know. And I said that's impossible and what is she talking about. And she says don't you remember when you went out of town and then you came back early?"

"But you didn't," Angela said.

"No." the man shook his head. "I was at a damn softball tournament. Whoever he was, he's the father."

~/~\~

Bobby John was lying in his crib. Dean was on the motel bed, enjoying the 'Magic Fingers' vibrations. He heard a sound and Bobby John started crying. Blood and skin were on the wall above the crib. As Dean got up off the bed, his cell phone rang.

"Yeah?" he answered.

 _"Angie and I talked to the father,"_ Sam replied. _"He checks out. But the baby…"_

"Yeah." Dean continued.

 _"I think the shapeshifter is his dad,"_ Sam said.

Dean picked up Bobby John and held him at arm's length. Bobby John was now black. He looked like the baby that was on the nearby box of diapers.

"You think?" Dean replied sarcastically.


	4. Two and a Half Men Part 2

Dean was trying to calm down Bobby John, who was crying loudly. There was a knock on the door.

"Manager!" someone yelled. "Everything okay in there?"

"Yeah, no, we're fine," Dean called back. "Thank you. Goodnight."

"There's been complaints." The manager replied. "Mind opening the door, sir?"

"It's not a good time," Dean pressed. "Just got out of the shower."

The doorknob rattled. Dean put Bobby John in the crib and stood to the side of the door. The door unlocked and the shapeshifter, disguised as a police officer, entered the room. Dean attacked him and they grappled. Dean was pushed back.

"Get out of the way." The shapeshifter growled.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen." Dean glared.

"That child should be with his father."

"Wow, I gotta be honest," Dean replied. "I'm not really seeing the family resemblance."

"I'm not just talking about me." The shapeshifter replied. "I'm talking about _our_ father."

The shapeshifter moved to attack, and Dean punched him and slashed him across the face with a silver knife. They continued to fight, and Dean was thrown back on the ground. Sam and Angela entered the room, and Sam shot the shapeshifter through the heart, killing him.

"Well, there goes our deposit," Dean sighed.

~/~\~

Sam was driving. Dean sat next to him in the passenger seat. Angela sat in the backseat next to Bobby John, who was sleeping.

"You know, it's pretty smart, actually," Sam commented. "I mean, shifter poses as a guard for the security company to get near the house. Then it scopes out the fam."

"Yeah, and then daddy takes off, and shifter becomes the daddy," Dean replied. "A few glasses of wine, shakes momma's trees, comes back in nine months to collect its prize."

"I didn't even know they had babies." Angela cut in. "I thought they were just freaks of nature."

"You learn something new every day, huh?" Dean added.

"I've never seen a baby monster before," Sam said.

"Of course, it's not really a monster," Dean argued. "I mean, it's still just a baby. It's not its fault its dad's a shifter."

"Right, but it's a shifter, too," Sam replied obviously.

"Still doesn't change the fact that we've got to look after this thing," Angela replied. "I mean, what the hell are we going to do with it?"

"We can't actually drop it off at an orphanage," Dean added. "They might get upset when it turns Asian."

"Samuel," Sam said.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Samuel," Sam repeated. "He'll know what to do."

"You want to bring it to a bunch of _hunters?_ " Angela raised a brow.

"Not just hunters," Sam replied. "They're family."

"We don't know them," Angela argued.

"I do," Sam replied. "Not every hunter is a head case. Besides, can either of you pitch a better idea?"

Dean and Angela stayed silent.

"Great!" Sam exclaimed. "Samuel, it is."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Bobby John drove through a guarded gate into the Campbell's compound.

~/~\~

Dean was holding Bobby John and Angela stood next to him. Christian walked past. Gwen approached Dean and stroked Bobby John.

"Well, aren't you just the best disguise a monster ever wore?" she asked. She looked up to see Dean glaring at her. "I'm kidding, Dean. Relax."

Mark approached Dean.

"What, you got something to say?" Dean raised a brow. "No? Alright, well, you stand there and think at me."

Sam and Samuel entered the room.

"What's our next move?" Sam asked.

"I got a couple ideas," Samuel replied. "Dean, let me see the little guy."

"That's alright, I got him," Dean said protectively.

"What do you think I'm going to do?" Samuel asked.

"You really don't want us to answer that question." Angela sassed.

"Well, I'm curious." Christian piped up. "Who exactly do you think we are?"

"Hunters," Dean replied.

"Funny, here I've been thinking we're family," Christian replied.

"Hey, let's not get worked up." Sam cut in.

"Yeah, yeah, let's not," Christian muttered.

"Here, it's fine. Let me take him," Sam said. "It's okay." He added, taking Bobby John. He then passed him to Samuel.

"Hey there." Samuel smiled. "You're a big fella, aren't ya? Yeah. I haven't held one of these in a long time." He added. "Your mom was the tiniest. She was as bald as a cue ball."

"Alright, so what the hell are we going to do with him?" Dean asked.

"Raise him," Samuel replied.

" _Raise him?_ " Angela repeated, raising a brow.

"What, you've got another suggestion?" Samuel asked.

"But…" Angela started.

"It's dangerous out there for him, Angela," Samuel said.

"And what about in here?" Dean asked. "What are we gonna—study him? Poke at him?"

"Your mind goes straight to torture, Dean." Christian cut in. "Don't assume that for everyone."

Dean squared his shoulders defensively. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Christian shrugged. "Sorry, I heard about what you majored in down in the pit."

"The hell is your problem, man?!" Dean snapped.

"You're starting to become a pain in my ass," Christian replied.

"Christian, take it easy, man," Sam said. "He's my brother."

"We all done bristling up here, or what?" Samuel asked. "Nobody's doing anything to him. When he's old enough, we throw it to him. He wants to volunteer to help out, that's fine."

"Could be great," Mark spoke up.

"How?" Angela asked.

"Think of the kind of hunter he'll grow up to be," Mark said.

Angela glared. "You all are joking, right?" she asked. "I mean, come on! You can't 'Angelina Jolie' a shapeshifter. Give me the baby."

"Why can't you and Dean give me an inch of trust?" Sam looked at her.

"Maybe because you two are suddenly back from the dead, and Dean and I seem to be the only ones who want to know how the hell it happened!" she yelled.

"You're not the only ones who want to know," Sam assured.

"What she's saying is, there's just a little too much mystery with this family for us to get comfy," Dean said.

"Then don't!" Samuel replied. "But don't put it on us. All we're trying to do is invite you guys in," he added. "Christian?"

"Yeah?" Christian replied.

"You and Arlene, still no luck on the baby front?" Samuel asked.

"Not yet, no." Christian shrugged.

"But you want one?"

"Yeah, we do." Christian nodded.

"Wait, hold on," Dean said.

"It's okay, Dean. It's alright." Samuel said as he handed Bobby John to Christian. "Congrats. It's a boy, sometimes."

Christian laughed as he looked at Bobby John. "The crap I do for this family."

"You're kidding me, right?" Dean glared.

"Go to hell, Dean," Christian said, still looking at Bobby John.

"Well, you have no business raising _anything_ ," Dean commented.

"Why, Dean?" Sam asked. "Because he's a hunter?"

Suddenly there were dogs barking outside.

"Check the back door," Samuel commanded.

Christian handed Bobby John back to Samuel, and Samuel passed him to Dean.

"Downstairs, panic room." Samuel continued. "He'll be safe there. Go. Forget it, go! Now!"

Dean, Sam, and Angela left for the panic room with Bobby John. Gwen, Christian, Mark, and Samuel got weapons ready and aimed them at the door as it was kicked down as a shapeshifter disguised as Samuel.

"You have something of ours." The shapeshifter said."

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela paced. Dean held Bobby John.

"Come on, Bobby John," Dean whispered. "You have got to keep quiet."

They heard gunfire coming from upstairs.

"It doesn't sound good up there…" Angela said.

"Alright, I'm going to go up," Sam replied. "You two stay here with the baby."

Sam went to the door and saw the shapeshifter, now disguised as Sam, in the window. Sam pulled out his knife, and the shapeshifter tore the panic room door off its hinges. The shapeshifter quickly overpowered Sam and approached Dean, Angela, and Bobby John. As it neared, it shifted into Dean without shedding its skin.

"What the hell…" Angela muttered.

"Give me the baby." The shapeshifter demanded.

"No way in hell," Dean growled.

The shapeshifter grabbed Angela and threw her across the room. He then grabbed Dean by the neck and raised him up the wall. He took Bobby John and choked Dean before letting him fall to the floor. The shapeshifter walked out of the panic room with Bobby John still disguised as Dean.

~/~\~

Sam and Samuel talked while Christian and Gwen cleaned up after the attack. Dean and Angela approached Sam and Samuel.

"Well, I'm pretty sure it's not a myth now," Samuel said.

"Yeah." Sam agreed.

"What the hell was that thing?" Angela asked.

"We think it may have been an Alpha," Samuel answered.

"An Alpha, like?" Dean raised a brow.

"Like all monsters come from somewhere, right?" Samuel replied.

"And you think that this one—

"The king shapeshifter." Samuel nodded. "First one who spawned all the others—there's tons of lore about it."

"The first one?" Angela asked, her brows furrowing.

"That's why it was so strong, and why nothing we had stopped it," Sam explained.

"And he said that he could find the baby anywhere," Samuel added. "That he could feel it like there's a connection. That's in the lore, too."

"What the hell does it want with babies, anyway?" Angela asked.

"A softball team?" Samuel shrugged. "I got no clue."

"Great, well then how do we kill it?" Dean asked.

"I don't know if we can." Samuel sighed.

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela walked out of the compound together.

"You know, it's funny," Dean commented.

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"You know, just before you ganked that shifter in the motel, he mentioned a father…" Dean trailed off.

"Which makes sense now because he meant the Alpha," Angela added.

"Huh." Sam nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Did you hear him say that?" Dean asked.

"Uh, I don't know." Sam lied. "Kind of a hot moment, you know? Why?"

"Well, because if you heard him, then you knew the Alpha was out there," Angela commented.

"Okay." Sam shrugged.

"And if you knew the Alpha was out there then you knew he might come after the baby." She added. "In which case, you were using the baby as bait."

"Was that the plan, Sammy?" Dean asked. "To use the baby as bait?"

"Of course not." Sam denied. "I just thought Samuel's was the safest place. That's all."

"Right, of course," Dean said, unconvinced.

Sam got in the car. Dean and Angela shared a looked before they also got into the car.

~/~\~

Sam dropped Dean and Angela off at Dean's house before speeding off.

"Hey, Dean?" Angela stopped him. "Can we talk real quick?"

Dean stopped and nodded. "Sure, what's up kiddo?"

She shifted slightly and looked up at him. "Something's wrong with Sam. I mean, first, he tells me that he just… doesn't want to be in a relationship with me anymore, and then the whole thing with the baby…"

"He said he didn't want to be with you?" Dean frowned.

Angela shrugged. "Yeah. I don't know, he said he didn't want to jump back into it," she replied. "But he's seemed kinda...cold lately, y'know?"

Dean sighed. "Come inside, grab a drink. You can stay in the guest room and we'll talk more about it later, okay?"

~/~\~

Lisa dried dishes in the kitchen. Dean and Angela entered. Angela headed upstairs.

"Hey." Lisa smiled. "Was that Angela who just came in?"

"Yeah. She uh, she's gonna stay in the guest room tonight." He replied. "Hey, where's Ben?"

Lisa nodded. "Hope everything's okay. And he's on a bike ride." She replied. "What?" she looked up at him.

"I don't know what to do here, Lis," Dean admitted. "I mean, if I knew for sure what the safest thing was, then I'd do it. Stay here and look after you guys and get as far away as I possibly can, but I don't know." He explained. "And I get what I've been doing lately, you know, what with the yelling and the acting like a prison guard. It's just, that's not me. You tell yourself you're not gonna be something, you know? But my dad was _exactly_ like this. All the time. It's scaring the hell out of me."

"Dean, can I be honest?" Lisa replied. "Maybe we're safer with you here, maybe gone. I don't know." She admitted. "The one thing I do know is that you're not a construction worker. And Angela's not a waitress. You two are hunters. And now you know Sam's out there, things are different." She said. "You don't want to be here, Dean."

"Yeah, I do," Dean assured sincerely.

"Okay." Lisa nodded. "Okay, but you also want to be there. I get it. You're white-knuckling it living like this. Like what you are is some bad, awful thing. But you're not. But I'm not going to have this discussion every time you leave. And this is just going to keep happening, so I need you to go. Angela too."

"I can't just lose you and Ben." Dean shook his head.

"That's not what I'm saying," Lisa assured.

"You're saying hit the road," Dean replied, defeated.

"Dean, if there's some rule that says this all has to be either/or, how about we break it?" Lisa smiled. "Me and Ben will be here, and you come when you can. Just come in one piece, okay?"

"You really think we can pull something like that off?" Dean asked.

"It's worth a shot, right?" Lisa murmured.

~/~\~

Dean pulled the tarp off the Impala. Angela stood next to him and they both smiled.


	5. The Third Man Part 1

Birds were chirping as morning light flooded into a bedroom window. Dean was sleeping. Lisa wakened next to him.

"Hey, you." Lisa smiled.

"Hey," Dean mumbled sleepily.

A light peck became a long and passionate kiss. Dean was distracted by the sound of a heartbeat. A horn blared, and Dean woke up from his dream. Angela sat next to him in the Impala, parked just off a busy highway.

"Mornin' sleeping beauty," Angela said as she paged through a book.

~/~\~

Sam was inside the motel room, shirtless, working through a fitness routine of push-ups and sit-ups.

~/~\~

"Morning," Dean grumbled as he got out of the Impala. He stretched to work the kinks out before getting back in and pulling back onto the road.

~/~\~

Sam was doing chin-ups on a pipe suspended from the ceiling of the room.

A woman emerged from the bathroom as Sam stopped. "Don't stop on my account." She smirked.

Sam laughed slightly. "I'm done."

"Last night was a…." she cleared her throat. "High point, if you don't mind me saying."

"Good," Sam smirked.

"Alright. Well, I see you need to start your day." She replied. "When did you say you were heading out?"

Sam exhaled, indicating impatience.

"You didn't. Right." She sighed, disappointed. "Damn, you know how to play that mystery card."

As she turned to leave, Sam cleared his throat and held up some cash.

"Right." She smiled. "I almost forgot. Next time…" she gave Sam a note. "You can call me on my night off. If you want."

"Okay." Sam nodded.

"Okay." She smiled, turning to leave.

The phone suddenly rang. Sam scrunched up the note and tossed it into a trashcan. He picked up his cellphone.

"Hey." Sam greeted.

~/~\~

"Hey," Dean replied. "We're about eight hours out of the Campbell Base."

 _"Uh, change of plans,"_ Sam replied. _"I need you guys to meet me. I'm in PA. Town called Easter."_

"What are you doing in Pennsylvania?" Dean asked, confused.

 _"Caught a case,"_ Sam replied.

"A case? When?" Dean asked. "It's been like... a day and a half."

Sam laughed slightly. _"I like to work."_

Dean glanced at Angela. "Apparently."

 _"Glad we hashed that out,"_ Sam replied. _"Call me when you two roll into town."_ He added before hanging up.

Dean stared at his phone and then looked at Angela. "Who died and made him boss?"

~/~\~

Sam was in a suit, leaning against his car and reading some reports.

Dean and Angela drove up in the Impala. Dean exited in the middle of a phone conversation. Dean was also dressed in a suit, and Angela was dressed in a blouse and pencil skirt.

Sam looked up from his papers and looked at Angela. Sam's eyes roamed over Angela, and it didn't go unnoticed by her. She felt... _uncomfortable_ under his gaze.

"Ben…I know you're lying," Dean said. "Because I lie professionally, that's how. Now tell your mom that you broke the damn thing and take it like a man." He added. "Okay? Ok—okay." He hung up.

"Wow." Sam laughed.

"What?" Dean asked.

"You—molding the minds of tomorrow," Sam smirked. "Who knew?"

"Yeah, tell me about it." Dean scoffed.

"How'd it go?" Sam asked.

"With?" Dean raised a brow.

"You and Lisa," Sam replied. "How'd she take it when you bailed?"

"Shockingly cool, actually," Dean replied as he looked through some papers.

"Better for everybody." Sam nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose." Dean shrugged. "Still driving the plastic piece of crap, huh?"

"What's your mileage, again?" Sam retorted.

"Shut up." Dean rolled his eyes.

~/~\~

Sam briefed Dean and Angela as they walked through the station to the morgue.

"Officer Gerald Hatch, a 17-year veteran, found dead in the ready room three days ago," Sam explained.

"Whoa," Angela muttered, reading over the file. "Somebody was over-hydrated."

Sam laughed. "Basically, yeah. The guy just…liquefied." Sam replied. "Most of the meat, bones, dense tissues—they just turned to blood."

"Okay, I don't get it." Dean shrugged.

"Nobody gets it," Sam said obviously.

"No." Dean shook his head. "I mean, I get that. I'm saying, if the guy was a mop job, then what are we doing in the morgue? What's left of him to look at?"

"Not here to look at him," Sam replied. "Here." He opened the drawer, revealing the boil-covered cop.

"Yikes…" Angela said.

"Ooh. Bad news." Dean frowned.

"Officer Toby Gray," Sam said. "They just brought him in. Found him dead in his patrol car, sitting at a speed trap on the outside of town."

"Extreme allergic reaction." Angela read.

"Yeah. Boils." Sam replied. "Covered from head to toe."

"Yeah, on the inside, too," Angela said. "It says his airways are chock full of them. This starting to look a little witchy to you?"

"That was my first instinct, but I found zero signs of hex work anywhere," Sam replied. "Far as I can tell, witchcraft was not involved."

"There's got to be some sort of link between, uh, skidmark and bubble wrap here," Dean said.

"No question." Sam agreed.

"Alright, well, can we get a witness?" Angela asked.

"Yep." Sam nodded. "Uh…Officer Ed Colfax." He read from his notes. "Saw Hatch go from a solid to a liquid."

"Another cop?" Angela raised a brow.

"Hatch's partner," Sam replied, pushing the body back into its drawer.

~/~\~

Sam's car swung around a corner. Dean's car pulled out in front of him and was first to park his vehicle at their destination.

"Were you, uh…were you _racing_ me?" Sam asked.

"No," Dean replied. "I was kicking your ass."

Angela rolled her eyes. "Put the rulers away boys and act professionally." She said before knocking on the door.

"Hello? Officer Colfax?" Dean called.

The door opened to reveal Ed in full dress uniform.

"Whoa," Dean said. "Lookin' sharp, Kojak."

"Who the hell are you?" Ed asked.

"We're the Fed, Ed," Sam answered. "We're here to ask you a few follow-up questions about your partner's death."

"Don't worry about it," Ed replied. "It's nobody's business."

Angela's brows knitted together. "Officer Colfax—

"Don't worry about it!" he snapped at her, slamming the door shut.

Sam kicked the door in without hesitating.

"Dude!" Dean exclaimed.

Walking towards Ed's office, Sam, Dean, and Angela passed a wall of family photos with the faces scratched out. They found Ed in his office, using a screwdriver to scratch out the face of his police portrait.

"Officer Colfax?" Angela asked.

"Hey, man, you alright?" Dean added.

"Don't worry about it," Ed mumbled.

"Right." Dean nodded. "Look, Officer Colfax—Ed. We think that your partner died of unnatural causes."

Ed scratched his hat.

"Did he have any enemies that you know of?" Angela asked softly.

"You might say that," Ed replied absentmindedly.

"Oh, yeah? Who's that?" Sam pressed.

"They both had it coming. Me too." Ed replied. "I'll be the next to go, and then it'll be over. And God will be satisfied."

"Why does God want you all dead?" Dean asked.

"Because of Christopher Birch," Ed replied, knocking over a bottle of booze. He watched it spill for some time. "Oh, dammit."

"Who's Christopher Birch?" Sam asked.

"He has no face," Ed mumbled.

"Ed?" Sam asked.

"Officer, you alright?" Dean asked.

Ed set the bottle upright.

"Who is Christopher Birch, Ed?" Angela repeated.

"Ed!" Dean snapped.

"Christopher Birch is a kid with no face…and a planted gun," Ed answered.

Dean frowned when he noticed blood dribbling from under Ed's hat. "Uh, you got a little something…yeah." He said as Ed put a finger on it.

"Damn." He looked up at the three hunters. "My head's been itching like a dirty jock." He added before falling forward.

"Ed?" Sam asked. He walked behind the desk and checked Ed's neck for a pulse. "Dead." He sighed.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound could be heard.

"You hear that?" Angela asked.

Sam removed Ed's hat. Locusts crawled out of a hole in Ed's head.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were seated at a table, looking through papers. Sam was at the other end, working on his laptop.

"Sweet," Dean commented. "Blood, boils, locusts."

"Three of your more popular Egyptian plagues," Sam replied.

Dean picked up a jar containing the locusts. "Yeah, but these guys…ate their way out of a cop's melon," Dean replied. "I don't quite remember that in King James."

"Meanwhile, a kid named Christopher Birch was shot in the head last month after a vehicle pursuit." Sam read. "Hatch, Gray, and Colfax were the three officers involved, and they all filed the exact same police report."

"Suspect exited the vehicle brandishing a firearm. We were forced to fire." Angela read.

"Just a kid with no face and a planted gun," Dean repeated. "Bunch of dicks. So they pop the kid, plant the piece."

"Maybe Colfax is right." Sam shrugged. "You know, maybe heaven has a hate-on for cops."

"So, we're listening to the guy with the bug in his custard?" Dean raised a brow. "That's—that's the, uh, the theory you want to go with?"

"Dean, angels got to have something to do, right, now that we're post-Apocalypse?" Sam replied.

"We should call Cas," Angela suggested.

Sam scoffed. "You're kidding, right? I've tried. It was the first and second and third thing I did, soon as I got topside." Sam replied. "Son of a bitch won't answer the phone."

Dean shrugged. "Angie's right. We should give it a shot."

Angela closed her eyes and sighed. "Hey, Cas." She started. "We uh, we could really use some help down here." She added, pausing for a moment, opening her eyes. She looked around the motel room.

"This is stupid." Sam rolled his eyes.

"Stay positive," Dean replied.

"Oh, I am positive." Sam scoffed.

Dean sighed. "Come on, Cas! Don't be a dick. We got ourselves a…plague-like situation down here, and…do you…do you copy?"

"Like I said…" Sam cleared his throat. "Son of a bitch doesn't answer…" he started, noticing Dean and Angela look behind him. "He's right behind me, isn't he?"

"Hello." Castiel smiled.

"Hello?" Sam asked.

"Y-yes." Castiel nodded.

"Hello." Sam mimicked Castiel. " _Hello?_ " he raised a brow.

"Uh, that is still the term?" Castiel asked, confused.

"I spent all that time trying to get through to you. Dean and Angie call once, and now it's _'hello'?!"_ Sam snapped.

"Yes." Castiel nodded.

"So, what, you—you like them better or something?" Sam scoffed.

"Dean, Angie, and I do share a more profound bond," Castiel explained. He looked at Dean and Angela. "I wasn't gonna mention it." He defended.

Dean sighed deeply. "Cas, I think what he's trying to say is that…he went to Hell for us," Dean said. "I mean, he really took one for the team. You remember that? And then he comes back without a clue, and you can't take five friggin' minutes to give him some answers?"

"If I had any answers, I might have responded," Castiel replied strongly. "But I don't know, Sam. We have no idea who brought you back from the cage…or why."

"So…it wasn't God?" Sam asked.

"No one's even seen God," Castiel replied. "The whole thing remains mysterious."

"What the hell does that mean?" Sam asked, clearly frustrated.

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "What part of _'I don't know'_ escapes your understanding?"

"Cas, look, if Sam calls, you answer. Okay?" Dean replied. "You wing your ass down here, and you tell him, 'I don't know'. Just because you have some sort of bond with Angie and I—or whatever."

Castiel raised a brow. "You think I came because you two called?" He asked. "I came because of this." He walked to the table where their research was spread out.

"Oh, well, it's nice to know what matters," Angela said.

"It does help one to focus." Castiel sassed.

"Wait, so—so you and the Halo Patrol, you guys aren't the cause of these killings?" Sam asked.

"No." Castiel shook his head. "But they were committed with one of our weapons. There's only one thing that could have brought this into existence. You call it the Staff of Moses."

Angela went wide-eyed. "The Staff?"

Castiel picked up the jar of locusts. "It was used in a dominance display against the Egyptians, as I recall."

Dean scoffed. "Yeah. That one made the papers."

"B-but I thought the Staff turned, like, a—a river into blood, not one guy." Angela shrugged.

"The weapon isn't being used at full capacity," Castiel explained. "I think we can rule Moses out as a suspect."

"Okay, but…what is—what is the Chuck Heston's disco stick doing down here, anyway? I mean, don't you guys put away your toys?" Dean accused.

"Before the apocalypse, Heaven may have been corrupt, but it was stable," Castiel answered. "The staff was safely contained." He sighed. "It's been chaos up there since the war ended. In that confusion, a number of…powerful weapons were…stolen."

"Wait, you—you're saying your nukes are loose?" Dean stammered.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so," Castiel replied. "But you've stumbled onto one of them. We must find the weapon that did this." He indicated the jar of locusts. "I need your help."

Sam scoffed, rolling his eyes. "That's rich. Really."

Castiel grunted, tossing the jar of locusts at Sam. "Sam, Dean, Angela, my 'people skills' are 'rusty'." He said, using air quotes. "Pardon me, but I have spent the last 'year' as a multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent. But believe me, you do _not_ want that weapon down here. Help me find it. Or more people will die."

"Alright." Angela nodded. "Okay. Well, if the angels didn't pull the trigger, then that brings us back to motive."

"What?" Castiel squinted.

"Back to the case," Sam said. "Right now, we got three dead cops. The only thing linking them…is this." He added, taking the newspaper clipping from Dean. "Father of slain suspect calls for an investigation." He read.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Castiel suddenly appeared in the Birch family living room.

"Oh, Cas, a little warning next time." Dean sighed.

Darryl went wide-eyed. "What the…how'd you get here?!"

"Mr. Birch, settle down," Sam replied, showing his FBI badge. "Federal agents."

"But you can't just walk in here!" Darryl argued.

Sam indicated the clippings. "Quite a collection you've got there, huh?"

"What are you trying to—

"Look, we know the truth, alright?" Sam cut him off. "Chris didn't have a gun on him when those cops shot him. They set him up."

"Yeah." Darryl nodded. "They're all getting theirs."

"And who's giving it to them, Darryl?" Sam accused.

"Darryl?" Angela asked softly. "Did you kill Toby Gray and the others?"

"Me?!" Darryl exclaimed. "I didn't kill anyone! Look at how they died!"

"You smote them with the Staff of Moses!" Castiel accused.

Darryl looked taken aback. "The hell kind of Fed are you?"

"We don't have time for this." Castiel stepped up to Darryl. "Where is it?"

Aaron brandished part of the Staff as if it were a gun. "Leave my dad alone!"

"Is that…?" Angela asked.

"Yes," Castiel replied.

"Shouldn't it be bigger?" Sam frowned.

"Yes. It's—it's been sawed off." Castiel frowned.

"Leave him alone!" Aaron yelled. "It wasn't him!"

"Aaron, get out of here!" Darryl shouted.

Castiel pressed two fingers to Darryl's forehead, Darryl fell back onto the sofa, unconscious.

Aaron looked at his dad and Castiel. "What did you do to him?"

"It's alright," Dean assured. "He's just sleeping."

Aaron pointed the staff at Dean.

Castiel teleported next to Aaron and took away the staff.

"Cas, take it easy!" Dean snapped. He looked at Aaron. "Listen, we're not here to hurt you, okay? But we need to know…where did you get this thing?"

"Please don't kill my dad," Aaron begged. "It was me. I did it."

"Okay, sweetie, nobody's killing anybody," Angela assured. "What's your name?"

"Aaron." He replied. "Aaron Birch."

"Okay, Aaron Birch, where did you get this?" Angela asked.

"You won't believe me." Aaron shrugged.

"Try me." Angela urged.

"It was an angel," Aaron answered.

"An angel?" Dean cut in.

"Those liars, they killed my brother, and nothing bad even happened to them," Aaron replied angrily. "It's not fair. So I prayed to God every night he would punish them. God didn't answer. But he did."

"His name—did he give you a name?" Castiel pressed.

"No." Aaron shook his head. "He just said I could have justice, but I was gonna have to take it myself. He…he gave me the stick."

"He just…gave it to you?" Dean asked. "Ah, come on. He didn't just give it to you, did he, Aaron?"

"I bought it," Aaron replied.

"You bought it?" Sam asked, chuckling. "With what? What's your allowance?"

"What did the angel want for it? What did you give him for it?" Dean asked.

"My soul," Aaron said seriously.

"You sold your soul to an _angel?_ " Sam raised a brow.

Angela looked at Castiel. "Can that even happen?"

Castiel shook his head. "It's never happened before. An angel's buying souls. That could explain why he cut the staff into pieces."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"More pieces, more product," Castiel explained.

"More product?" Dean frowned. "Who is this guy?"

"We'll find him," Castiel replied. He pressed his fingers to Aaron's forehead; Aaron fell unconscious.

"Cas!" Angela yelled.

"What did you do that for?" Dean asked.

"Portability," Castiel said bluntly.

Castiel was carrying Aaron over his shoulder, back in Sam's hotel room. Castiel placed Aaron on the bed.

"Cas, you realize you just kidnapped a kid?" Dean asked.

"If the angel we seek truly bought this boy's soul, when a claim is laid on a living soul, it leaves a mark, a brand," Castiel explained.

"What, like a—like a shirt tag at camp?" Sam asked.

"I have no idea," Castiel replied. "But I can read the mark and find the name of the angel that bought the soul."

"How?" Angela asked.

"Well, painfully for him," Castiel answered. "The reading will be excruciating."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Dean cut him off. "Hold on."

"Dean." Castiel sighed.

"He's a _kid_ , Cas." Angela chimed in. "A kid."

"Exactly," Dean replied. "Sam, back us up here, man."

Sam looked at Castiel. "Any permanent damage?"

"What?!" Dean and Angela exclaimed.

"Physically, minimal," Castiel replied.

"Oh, well, yeah, then, by all means, stick your arm right in there," Dean said sarcastically.

"Dean!" Castiel snapped. "If I get the name, I can work a ritual to track the angel down."

"And we're all for that," Angela assured. "But come on. There's got to be another way."

"There is no other way," Castiel said grimly.

"You're gonna torture a kid?" Dean frowned.

"I can't care about that!" Castiel replied, rolling his sleeve up. "I don't have the luxury."

Castiel pushed his hand into Aaron's chest. Aaron screamed. Dean and Angela advanced, but Sam held them back. They watched as Aaron screamed and his body lit up from the inside. He stopped screaming and fell unconscious when Castiel withdrew his hand.

"He'll rest now," Castiel said.

"Did you get a name? What is it?" Sam asked.

Castiel frowned. "I thought he died in the war."

"What, he—he was a—he was a friend or something?" Sam pressed.

Castiel sighed. "A good friend."

"Yeah, well, your frat buddy is now moonlighting as a crossroads demon." Dean scoffed.

"Balthazar," Castiel said. "I wonder…"

"So we can find him now, right?" Sam asked.

An angel suddenly appeared. "Balthazar." He smirked. "Thanks, Castiel. We'll make good use of the name."

The angel attacked Castiel with an angel blade. Castiel blocked it with his own.

"And by the way, Raphael says hello." The angel said.

The angel and Castiel fought in the room until they both lost their blades. They grappled each other and jumped through the window, falling several stories onto a car parked on the street. Sam, Dean, and Angela looked out the window. The angel disappeared, leaving Castiel standing next to the destroyed vehicle.

"My car." Sam frowned.

Dean looked at Sam and Angela, with a small smirk. "Okay. Silver lining."


	6. The Third Man Part 2

Castiel was standing by the wrecked car. Sam, Dean, and Angela were still up in the motel room.

Castiel suddenly appeared behind the three hunters. "He's gone."

"Alright, Cas, who was that guy?" Sam asked.

"A soldier of Raphael," Castiel replied. "He must have followed me when I answered your call."

"Raphael? The archangel?" Sam raised a brow. "I'm sorry, what's going on here?"

Castiel got a bowl from a cupboard. "I can explain later. Right now, we have to—

"No, not later," Angela said, walking up to Castiel so that they were inches apart. "Now," she demanded. "Stop, alright? There are too many angels, Cas! I don't know who's on first, what's on second."

"What is second?!" Castiel replied, clearly confused.

Angela sighed, frustrated. "Don't start that, Cas."

"It is simple: Raphael and his followers, they want him to rule Heaven," Castiel explained. "I—and many others—the last thing we want is to let him take over. It would be catastrophic."

"You're talking civil war." Sam realized.

"Technically, yes." Castiel sighed. "Which is why we have to find Balthazar and his weapons before Raphael does. Whoever has the weapons wins the war." He added, pulling Sam's weapons from under his bed.

"Help yourself," Sam muttered sarcastically.

"And what happens is Raphael wins?" Dean asked. "What—what does he want?"

Castiel got a flask of holy water from Sam's bag. "What he's always wanted—to end the story the way it was written."

"You mean the Apocalypse, the one that we derailed?" Dean asked.

"Yes. That one." Castiel replied. "Raphael wants to put it back on the rails."

"Why?" Dean asked.

Castiel looked around the room. "I need myrrh."

"Myrrh?" Sam asked.

Castiel suddenly disappeared.

"Freakin' angels," Dean muttered.

Castiel reappeared behind Dean and Angela. He was drawing on the kitchen table with chalk.

"Why does Raphael want to bring back all this crap?" Angela asked.

"He's a traditionalist," Castiel replied.

"Cas, why didn't you tell us this?" Angela sighed.

"I was ashamed," Castiel admitted. "I expected more from my brothers. I'm sorry. Now I need your blood." He grabbed Angela's wrist and sliced her palm.

"Whoa, whoa! Ow!" She exclaimed. "Why don't you use your own?!"

"It wouldn't work," Castiel replied. "I'm not human."

Angela squeezed her hand shut. Blood dripped into the bowl. Castiel added myrrh and holy water and intones.

Suddenly, sirens sounded.

"Uh, Cas, how long does this spell take?" Sam raised a brow.

The wailing intensified.

"Got him," Castiel said. "Let's go."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Dean cut in. "What about him?" he gestured to Aaron, who was still on the bed, unconscious.

"Don't you think the police will take him home?" Castiel replied.

~/~\~

There were crickets chirping.

"Huh," Dean mumbled. "I was expecting more Dr. No, less Liberace."

Dean, Sam, Angela, and Castiel advanced on the mansion.

~/~\~

An angel armed with an angel blade was patrolling the grounds.

"Hey, there." Sam pulled out his angel blade. "Yeah, I got one of those, too."

The angel appeared behind Sam, holding the knife to his throat. "You think you can knife-fight an angel?"

"Who's fighting?" Dean asked. "Peace out, douchewad." He added before slapping the angel-banishing sigil, causing the angel to disappear.

Thunder crashed.

~/~\~

"Well, now Raphael will have to go shopping for a new vessel," Balthazar said. "Should give me a nice long head start on him. Until next time."

"Next time." Castiel nodded.

"No time like the present," Dean said as he walked in. He flicked a lighter and dropped it on a circle of holy oil that surrounded Balthazar.

"Holy fire," Balthazar growled. "You hairless ape! Release me!"

"First you're taking your marker off of Aaron Birch's soul!" Angela demanded.

"Am I?!" Balthazar retorted.

"Sam?" Dean nodded.

"Unless you like your wings extra crispy," he said, uncorking a bottle of holy oil. "I'd think about it."

"Castiel, I stood for you in Heaven," Balthazar said. "Are you gonna let—

"I believe…the hairless ape has the floor." Castiel cut him off.

Balthazar laughed. "Very well." He inhaled, touched his clasped hands to his forehead, and exhaled. "The boy's debt is cleared. His soul is his own."

"Why are you buying up human souls, anyway?" Dean asked.

"In this economy?" Balthazar sassed. "It's probably the only thing worth buying. Do you have any idea what souls are worth? What power they hold? Now…release me."

"Suck it, ass clown." Dean glared. "Nobody said anything—

Castiel lowered his hand, lowering the flames.

"Cas, what the hell?!" Dean snapped.

Castiel looked at Balthazar. "My debt to you is cleared."

"Fair enough," Balthazar replied before disappearing.

"Cas, are you out of your mind?!" Dean yelled.

Castiel disappeared.

"Cas?!" Dean snapped. "Oh, friggin' angels! Come on!"

~/~\~

Dean was rearranging weapons in the trunk of the Impala. "Yeah, well I didn't realize I had this much stuff back here."

"Well, I need some space," Sam replied. "Kind of picked up some stuff along the way."

Dean closed the false bottom on the weapons cache. Sam placed his duffle bag on top. He noticed a mask there and pulled it out.

"What the hell is that?" Sam frowned.

"Oh, it's, uh, Ben's Halloween costume." Dean shrugged.

"Wendigo?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

Sam nodded approvingly. "Accurate."

Dean closed the trunk. The three hunters leaned against the Impala.

"Hey, so, uh…are you okay?" Dean asked.

"Me?" Sam chuckled. "Yeah, I'm great."

"Really?" Angela looked up at him. "Because there have been a few times that you got me and Dean wondering…"

"Come again?" Sam frowned.

"What she means is, where were you when Cas was, uh, giving the Holy Taser treatment to the kid?" Dean asked.

"I was right there." Sam shrugged.

"Really?" Angela asked. "Because honestly, it felt like Dean and I were the only ones raising a card."

"Right." Sam nodded. "Uh, I mean, I was with you guys, but…I don't know." He shrugged. "W-we needed the intel."

"Yeah, I know, but we tortured that kid to get it," Dean replied.

Sam just sighed.

"Angie and I just didn't get the feeling that you—that you even cared," Dean replied.

"Y-you're wrong." Sam shrugged.

"Look, Sam, we're just trying to figure this out because…something's different with you. You know that. I mean, it's like you don't care anymore." Angela said softly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I know." Sam admitted.

"Really?" Angela asked.

"Yeah." Sam shrugged. "I mean…I've been hunting non-stop for the past year, kind of…kind of on the wild, you know? So, yeah, I suppose I'm a little rough around the edges."

"Yeah, uh, we get that. But I just don't think you're giving us the whole scoop." Dean replied. "You went to hell, Sam. And believe me, I know what that does to a guy."

"To you," Sam said.

"What?" Dean asked, confused.

"You know what it does to you," Sam explained. "It—it tortured _you._ You know? I think it still does. But, Dean…I'm okay."

"So you're saying, what, that—that you're _stronger_ than me?" Dean frowned.

Sam chuckled. "No. Just saying we're different." Sam paused, slapped the roof of the Impala, and got inside.

Dean and Angela shared a look, then got into the car as well.


	7. Weekend at Bobby's Part 1

The news was playing on TV.

 _"Yesterday this Galveston shoreline was being pounded by ten-foot swells and winds up to 150 miles per hour…"_ the reporter said. _"But today, well, there's not a cloud in sight. Hurricane Tiffany has broken up over the gulf."_

Bobby was working on some sort of magical ritual. He cut his palm and added his blood to the ingredients in a large bowl.

"Et ad congregandum…Eos Coram me." Bobby chanted.

Bobby lit a match and set the ingredients in the bowl alight. Crowley appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Been making merry, have we?" Crowley asked.

"Bite me." Bobby snarled.

"If that's your thing." Crowley shrugged. He snapped his fingers to turn off the TV. "That swan dive of Sam's was a thing of beauty. Tens all the way around. Standing ov from the Romanian judge. You should be proud, Bobby. As deaths go, it wasn't too shabby. Cheer up, mate, we just saved the sodding world together. Me, I've been celebrating."

"I'd hate to see what you call celebrating," Bobby replied.

"Yes, you would." Crowley nodded.

Bobby lifted a bottle of alcohol and offered to Crowley. "Drink?"

Crowley looked at the bottle, appalled. "No!"

Bobby poured himself a drink. "Let me get this straight—we just _'saved the sodding world together'_." He mocked. "And you're too good to drink with me?"

"Obviously." Crowley shrugged. "I doubt that you have my brand."

"What's your poison, your highness?" Bobby raised a brow.

Crowley breathed deeply. "Craig. Aged 30 years at least. I've been drinking it since grade school."

"Well, I got old rotgut aged 6 days," Bobby replied before taking a drink.

"Swill like that is gonna burn a hole in your soul—oops sorry, my soul," Crowley said. "But that's why you called. Our little deal."

"Yeah, well, it's about time you hold up your end and give it back." Bobby glared.

"Give it back?" Crowley raised a brow.

"Our deal was, we ice Lucifer, you rip up the lease." Bobby reminded.

Crowley smirked. "Oh." He turned away from Bobby. "You didn't read your contract."

Bobby narrowed his eyes. "The hell you talking about, contract?"

Crowley turned toward Bobby, snapped his fingers, and pointed. Bobby writhed in pain as writing appeared on his body.

"Paragraph 18, subsection B, which is on your naughty bits—I only have to make _'best efforts'_ to give you back your soul," Crowley explained.

"Meaning what?" Bobby glared.

"Meaning…" Crowley made a straining gestured and sighed. "I'd like to—but I can't."

"You lying sack of—

"Ten years." Crowley walked towards Bobby. "You come to daddy. Until then, I suggest you start drinking the good stuff."

"I figured you'd say that," Bobby replied. "So you can rot here till you change your mind."

"Why? 'Cause you asked nicely?" Crowley sassed.

Bobby shook his head. "No." He walked past Crowley to the back of the room. "'Cause I'm going Dateline on your ass." He turned off the light, revealing a devil's trap painted on the floor in glowing paint.

Crowley looked around. "I hope that's paint. Really." He sighed. "What am I going to do?"

Bobby turned towards the kitchen to walk away and Crowley let out a sharp whistle. Crowley's hellhound growled. Bobby grimaced as the hellhound breathed on his face.

"Doggie breath," Crowley said. "Bracing, isn't it?"

Bobby gulped and turned towards Crowley.

"Ball's in your court, Robert," Crowley smirked. "Ten years of living or ten years as Alpo."

Bobby looked in the direction of the growls and back at Crowley. Bobby looked at Crowley in disgust. Crowley just smirked happily as Bobby opened his pocket knife and approached the circle. Bobby scraped the paint, breaking the seal and setting Crowley free.

"This ain't over." Bobby held his knife in a threatening manner.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Crowley replied. He walked out of the trap and paused in front of Bobby. "Happy hunting." He said before leaving.

~/~\~

Children were playing on the playground and not far away Dean was examining a body with a large hole in its chest.

"No EMF." Sam shook his head.

"Find anything in there?" Angela asked.

Dean took off his glove and dropped it on the ground. "Yeah, I've got some kind of claw." He picked up the claw from the ground.

"What in the hell has a claw like that?" Sam frowned.

Dean shrugged, pulling out his phone. "That is a good question." He said before making a call.

After a few rings, Dean was still waiting for Bobby to answer the phone. He looked at Sam and Angela, who just shrugged.

"Maybe he's in the can," Sam said.

~/~\~

The phone was still ringing. Bobby entered the house from the kitchen back door, wiping his hands. He tossed the towel and answered the phone.

"Yeah?" he greeted.

~/~\~

"What happened, you fall and can't get up?" Dean joked.

 _"Hilarious,"_ Bobby replied sarcastically over the phone. _"What's up?"_ Bobby asked.

"We're in Wisconsin," Dean replied. "Six bodies, chests cracked wide open. No EMF, no sulfur, no hex bags." He added. "We did find this though—hold on." He took a picture of the claw. "Alright, check your wagon."

~/~\~

Bobby watched as the image downloaded from his email.

His brows shot up. "That's a new one."

 _"Yeah. We need an ID, ASAP."_ Dean replied. _"This thing is on a rampage. Call us as soon as you dig something up."_

Bobby looked anxious. "Dean, I'm a little busy."

 _"Well, then kick Bo Derek out of your bathtub,"_ Dean replied. _"We gotta case here."_

Bobby shook his head. "I'll call you back." He said before hanging up.

Bobby started his research and started getting frustrated. "Balls!" he slammed the book shut.

~/~\~

Bobby was driving and passed his neighbor, who waved at him. Bobby waved back. He drove to Sioux Falls University Library, but it was closed. Bobby sighed and looked inside. Bobby then went around back and broke a window to get inside. Bobby climbed in the window and fell inside.

"Balls!" he yelled.

Bobby went back to the car with a book. He tried to start the car, but the engine wouldn't start.

"Come on." He groaned. "Come on." He repeated, trying the engine one more time. "Balls."

~/~\~

Bobby made it back home at 1:07 AM and did more research. The clock on his desk ticked over. Bobby started to nod off. The clock read 2:47 AM and kept ticking to 3:02 AM when Bobby woke with a start. He took some pills and drank coffee to keep going.

~/~\~

Bobby was still at his desk at 5:09 AM. He called Dean.

"You're hunting a Lamia." He yawned.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were eating take-out food. Dean had Bobby on speaker.

"Come again?" Angela raised a brow.

 _"It's a monster,"_ Bobby replied. _"Juices hearts and chugs the blood."_ He sighed. _"Never heard of one popping up outside of Greece though."_

Dean got up. "Yeah, well, looks like this freak is immigrating. It's snacking on cheeseheads."

"How do we kill it?" Angela asked.

Bobby yawned. _"There's a couple of ways. Easiest is a silver knife blessed by a Padre."_

"Gotcha," Dean said through a mouthful of food. He hung up the phone.

~/~\~

Bobby looked at the receiver and spoke to the dial tone. "You're welcome." He muttered before hanging up.

"Hey, I'm still here!" a female voice yelled.

Bobby walked downstairs to the panic room.

"Hey there, cranky." The demon smirked. "You were gone so long, I just assumed alcoholic coma."

"Where were we?" Bobby asked.

"Your soul." The demon purred.

"Right." Bobby nodded. "Talk."

"Look at you, all in a rush. Foreplay…" she trailed off, uncrossing her legs and recrossing them. "…gets you more play."

"I want Crowley's name," Bobby replied. "His _real_ name, back when he was flesh and blood."

The demon tilted her head. "Does tying up demons in your basement make you feel better about that time that you killed your wife?"

Bobby picked up a bag and brought it over to the demon.

She eyed the bag. "What's that?"

"You don't recognize them?" Bobby raised a brow. "They're yours." He placed the bag in a large metal tub. He lit a flamethrower.

"It won't work." The demon replied. "It's a myth."

Bobby looked at the flame. "Then you got nothing to worry about." He pointed the flames over the metal tub.

The demon screamed in pain. Bobby lowered the flamethrower after a few moments.

The demon gasped in pain. "I can't."

Bobby made the flamethrower higher again over the tub. The demon screamed. Bobby lowered the flamethrower.

The demon's flesh was burned. "You don't know what he'll do to me."

"Right now you better worry about me." Bobby glared.

"You don't get it." She tried. "He's the _King._ "

Bobby burned her again. "King of the Crossroads. I've heard the speech."

The demon groaned in pain. "No." she replied. "King of Hell."

The doorbell rang. Bobby blew out the pilot of the flamethrower. The doorbell rang again.

"You gonna get that or what?" the demon glared.

~/~\~

Bobby walked to the front door as the bell rang again. Bobby looked through the peephole and saw his female neighbor holding something and arranging her hair. Bobby checked his breath and tried to straighten his clothes a bit before opening the door and stepping onto the porch.

~/~\~

Bobby looked around. "Marcy."

"Bobby Singer." She smiled. "How long have we been neighbors?"

"Six months?" Bobby guessed.

"Well, don't you think it's time you welcomed me to the neighborhood?" she offered the tray to Bobby and uncovered it. "My famous ginger peach cobbler."

Bobby looked at it, then at Marcy.

"Take a whiff." Marcy nodded to the dessert. "Seriously, I'm a genius."

Bobby sniffed, rolled his eyes, and smiled. Marcy also smiled. Marcy heard the demon screaming for help. Bobby closed the door slightly.

"It's stupid horror flicks." Bobby shrugged. "Guilty pleasure."

"I love scary movies." Marcy grinned. "Have you seen 'Drag Me To Hell'?"

Bobby paused awkwardly. "Trying to avoid it."

"But it's fantastic." Marcy gushed. She took a deep breath. "Saturday, seven o'clock, my house. I'll fix you dinner and I'll whip up a batch of my famous white chocolate popcorn and we'll watch it. Deal?"

Bobby looked down. "That sounds super, Marcy, but uh—

"Okay, no worries." Marcy shrugged. "Um, hey, one other thing. Uh, my wood chipper—it's a piece of crap, you know. It just broke down on me and—and I hear that you're quite handy. Maybe you could come over and take a look. You know, just whenever—

"Yeah." Bobby smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

Marcy smiled, pleased. "Okay."

The two looked at each other, then shook hands.

"Well, okay…" Marcy held Bobby's hand for a little longer. "Okay, I'll see you soon."

Marcy waved goodbye. She and Bobby turned to leave, each looking back at the other a few times. Bobby closed the door and smiled at the cobbler in his hands.

~/~\~

Bobby walked down the stairs to the basement.

"Aww. She sounds nice." The demon smirked. "Are you going to make sweet love to her before you stab her to death, Bobby? That is your usual thing, right?"

Bobby aimed the flame at the metal tub and the demon started screaming again.

"I want Crowley's name now!" Bobby yelled as the demon screamed. "Crowley's name!"

The demon started whimpering. "Okay, okay." She said as Bobby took the flame off the tub. "MacLeod. Fergus MacLeod. I swear. We call him Lucky the Leprechaun behind his back."

"MacLeod's Scottish, Einstein." Bobby sassed.

"You got what you want, now send me back." The demon replied as Bobby grabbed a can of lighter fluid and soaked what was in the tub. "No!" she pleaded. "We had a deal."

"I gave it my best effort." Bobby glared.

"No!" the demon screamed as Bobby torched the items in the tub.

~/~\~

The phone rang. Bobby checked the caller ID and answered.

"Yeah, Garth, what do you got?" he asked. "Never heard of a vamp doin' that. It doesn't sound like our kind of thing. Better drop a dime on the FBI."

Bobby hung up the phone and placed it back on its charger. Another phone labeled 'FBI Tom Willis' rang.

"Willis, FBI." He greeted. "No, Garth, not me, the FBI." He groaned. "The real FBI! How are you still alive?"

Bobby hung up the phone and another line rang. It was labeled 'CDC Frank Castle'.

"Yeah, Castle." He greeted.

Another line rang.

"Yeah."

There was another call.

"Willis." Bobby sighed.

Bobby was trying to do some work and the phone rang again.

"Uh-huh," Bobby said. "Of course she's one of ours. And if she says she's got to dig that grave up, you better damn well let her."

Bobby hung up the phone labeled 'Police Pete Lovell'. Bobby tried to take a sip of coffee and other line rang. Bobby looked bored listening to the caller, then hung up. Bobby was reading and drinking his coffee when he heard banging on his door. Bobby got up to answer the back-kitchen door. It was Rufus Turner.

Rufus was out of breath. "Oh, good, you're home! Listen. You gotta help me bury a body."

Bobby stared in disbelief, then rolled his eyes.

~/~\~

Bobby was walking with Rufus.

"Why'd you bring it here?" Bobby asked.

"The law is on my tail!" Rufus defended. "What was your guess?" he shrugged. "What, what, what? They got lucky."

"Yeah, or you're getting slow." Bobby joked.

"Yeah, I'm getting slow—says mister sits on his ass all day taking calls." Rufus retorted.

Bobby and Rufus reached Rufus' truck. Rufus lowered the tailgate and uncovered the body of an Asian woman. Rufus gestured at the body.

Bobby looked at the body. "Vamp, shifter—what?"

"None of the above," Rufus replied. He pulled the lips on the body back to expose the teeth and looked over at Bobby.

"Okami?" Bobby raised a brow. "Where'd you shiv it?"

"Get this. Billings." Rufus said, closing the mouth of the monster.

"The only time I ever saw one of these was in Japan," Bobby replied.

"Duh," Rufus said. "No one's ever seen one of these except in Japan."

"For what it's worth, Sam, Dean, and Angie are tracking a Lamia in Wisconsin." Bobby shrugged.

"Get out," Rufus replied. "I thought they never leave Greece."

Bobby shook his head slightly. "Monsters lately. Is it me, or is it weird?"

"Yeah well, it's definitely something," Rufus replied. His head snapped up. "So, you got a shovel?"

Bobby used a mechanical digger to dig a hole. Rufus stood by with a shovel, watching Bobby operate the machine.

"Man, I know what I want for Hanukkah," Rufus commented.

Bobby and Rufus approached a deep, rectangular hole in the ground. Rufus dropped the body into the hole and they started filling the hole back up.

"So the son of a bitch's name is Fergus MacLeod?" Rufus raised a brow.

"That's the son of a bitch's name," Bobby confirmed.

Rufus raked the dirt over the ground. "Where are you gonna look?"

Bobby rested on the shovel and looked at Rufus. "Scotland," Bobby replied. "Crowley let slip that he likes Craig. It's, uh—

Rufus stopped raking. "It's scotch. Only made and sold in a tiny area on the north tip of Caithness county." Rufus said. "It's peaty and sharp, with a long finish of citrus and tobacco notes." He added before he went back to raking. Rufus noticed Bobby staring at him and stopped. "I know what Craig is."

"Well, I got a hunch that that's where Crowley lived and died back when he was a human, a few hundred years before he got the big squeeze in hell and came out a demon," Bobby explained.

"You know I've got contacts over there," Rufus commented. "I could make a few calls."

"Well, I ain't askin' for no help," Bobby replied defensively.

"I ain't askin' for your permission." Rufus retorted.

Rufus and Bobby smoothed over the dirt.

~/~\~

Bobby was about to cut a piece of the cobbler when the phone rang. Bobby put down the knife and walked over to the phone.

"Yeah." He greeted.

~/~\~

"What's another way to kill a Lamia?" Dean asked frantically.

 _"Well, what happened to the silver knife blessed by a priest?"_ Bobby's voice was heard from the phone.

There was a dead priest at Dean's feet. "That didn't pan out," Dean replied. "What's plan B?"

Sam and Angela were tossed into pillars. Dean winced.

Angela groaned in pain.

"Dean." Sam groaned as he and Angela were pulled away from the pillar.

~/~\~

Bobby was looking in a book and he heard knocking on the front door.

"Police!" someone yelled.

"Balls!" Bobby muttered.

~/~\~

"Come on Bobby, get the lead out!" Dean rushed.

~/~\~

Bobby was looking through the book. "Where are you?"

~/~\~

"In a church," Dean said. "In a rectory."

~/~\~

Bobby was still looking through the book. "Is there a kitchen?"

 _"Yeah,"_ Dean said over the phone.

"Find salt…" Bobby started.

~/~\~

Dean was scoping out the kitchen listening to Bobby with the creature's growls in the background.

 _"And rosemary,"_ Bobby explained over the phone.

~/~\~

Bobby raised his head at the pounding at his door.

"Open up, Singer!" the voice yelled.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were being tossed around in the kitchen while Dean, still on the phone with Bobby, searched the cabinets for salt and rosemary.

~/~\~

At Bobby's front door were Sheriff Jody Mills and a man in a suit.

Bobby, still on the phone, opened the door and the man flashed an FBI badge at him.

"Mr. Singer. I'm Agent Adams." He said before putting away the badge. "I believe you know Sheriff Mills."

~/~\~

Dean was still searching the kitchen cabinets.

~/~\~

Bobby gestured that he would be with Agent Adams and Sheriff Mills in a moment.

"My mom." He said. "Just a sec." he added as he turned to walk into the study.

~/~\~

Dean was still looking in the cabinets and he got excited.

"Rosemary!"

~/~\~

 _"I got it!"_ Dean said over the phone.

Agent Adams and Sheriff Mills followed Bobby into the house.

"Great, great. Now blend the herbs." Bobby instructed.

~/~\~

Dean was pouring the salt into a bowl.

 _"Sautee over a high heat and cook well,"_ Bobby explained over the phone.

Dean dropped his phone and tossed the mix at the Lamia. It screeched. Dean pulled the stove away from the wall. The Lamia tossed Sam and Angela into a corner.

"Sammy! Angie!" Dean yelled as he tried to light his lighter. "Fire in the hole!"

Dean was using the gas line as a makeshift flamethrower and aimed it at the Lamia. Sam and Angela shielded themselves in the corner. The creature screamed.

~/~\~

"Okay. Great. Great." Bobby said. "Enjoy the roast, Mom."

Bobby hung up the phone and turned to see Agent Adams and Sheriff Mills standing behind him.

Agent Adams had a sketch in his hand. "Have you seen this man?" he asked. "Rufus Turner, aka Luther Vandros, aka Ruben Studdard."

Bobby shook his head. "No, I've never seen that dick."

Agent Adams raised a brow. "How do you know he's a dick?"

"Lucky guess." Bobby shrugged.

Sheriff Mills rolled her eyes.

"Funny." Agent Adams replied. "'Cause I got a couple of guys working the highway said they saw him pull in here. Carrying a body."

"Well, that's ridiculous," Bobby replied. "Look, it's a workday, I gotta…"

"I just want to take a look around." Agent Adams interrupted.

Bobby took two steps in Agent Adams' direction. "You got a warrant, sonny?"

Agent Adams walked towards Bobby, getting in his face. "Well, do I need one, sir?"

The two stared at each other for a few moments.

Sheriff Mills patted both men on the chest. "Okay fellas, put the rulers away. Zip up." She said. "Look, Bobby here is kind of a…crank." She explained to Agent Adams. "And he ain't what you call a fan of big brother, but me and him…" she trailed off, looking at Bobby. "How long I been arresting you now? Ten years?"

"Thereabouts." Bobby shrugged.

"Yeah, we got history, so…what do you say just let me scope the place out?" she looked up at Agent Adams. "That okay? You could just wait outside."

Agent Adams looked at Sheriff Mills then turned for the door. "Five minutes."

Sheriff Mills watched Agent Adams go outside. She turned back to Bobby.

"Why did you send him outside?" Bobby asked.

"'Cause I didn't think you'd want him in here." Sheriff Mills replied obviously.

"I don't." Bobby agreed. "I've got a body in the basement."

"My point."

"Yeah, but I've also got another body buried in the yard," Bobby admitted.

Sheriff Mills went wide-eyed. "Dammit." She muttered. She went to the front door to look outside, then looked at Bobby. "He's not there."

Bobby let out an irritated sigh. "Balls!"

~/~\~

Sheriff Mills and Bobby walked outside and found Agent Adams.

"Mr. Singer, come with me, please." Agent Adams said.

Bobby and Sheriff Mills exchanged a look, then followed Agent Adams. He stopped in front of a now-empty hole where Rufus and Bobby buried the Okami.

"Do you mind explaining this?" Agent Adams raised a brow.

"What, you never had a septic tank explode on you?" Bobby replied. "I got it pretty well cleaned up, but watch where you step."

Agent Adams checked the bottom of his shoes.

~/~\~

Rufus was driving while on the phone with Bobby.

 _"Get back here!"_ Bobby yelled over the phone.

"Get back—I'm two states over, Bobby," Rufus replied. "I can't."

~/~\~

"The Okami ain't dead," Bobby said, carrying a large bag.

 _"Of course it is,"_ Rufus replied over the phone.

Bobby pulled various knives out of the bag. "Did you use a bamboo dagger?"

 _"Yeah,"_ Rufus replied.

"Blessed by a Shinto priest?" Bobby asked.

 _"I'm not an imbecile, Bobby."_ Rufus sighed.

"Did you stab it seven times?" Bobby pressed.

There was a pause on the other line. _"Five times,"_ Rufus answered.

"It's seven!" Bobby said, exasperated.

 _"No, I'm pretty sure it's five,"_ Rufus argued.

"Well, clearly it's seven times," Bobby replied. "The damn hole is empty. What was it feeding on when you found it?"

 _"Single white females while the slept,"_ Rufus answered.

Bobby went wide-eyed.

~/~\~

Marcy was getting ready to go to bed. She closed an open window and locked it. She turned to go down the hall. Marcy locked the front door as something watched her from the kitchen. Suddenly, Bobby kicked in the door. Marcy screamed.

"Bobby?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"Where's your bedroom?" Bobby asked, out of breath.

Marcy, still in shock pointed the way and Bobby ran down the hall. Bobby pushed open the door and checked under the bed. As Bobby continued searching the room, Marcy walked in.

"Bobby, I'm trying to keep my cool but, what are you doing in my house with a shotgun?" Marcy asked.

Bobby stopped searching to look at Marcy. "Have you seen anything…weird?"

Marcy raised a brow. "You mean besides you?"

Marcy's eyes wandered up to the corner of the ceiling and she gasped. Bobby followed her gaze to the corner behind him and the Okami pounced on him. The Okami wrestled with Bobby and tossed him out the window. The Okami then turned to Marcy, who quickly backed out of the room, closing the door. The Okami went out the same window Bobby did. Bobby was just getting up and the Okami lunged at him again, but Bobby sidestepped, and it crashed into a tree. Bobby tried to keep it pinned against the tree but the Okami punched him and he flew backward. He hit the wood chipper and powered it up by accident. The Okami attacked again. The two wrestled near the blades. Marcy came running outside.

"Bobby, no!" she screamed. "Look out!"

Bobby kneed the Okami and rolled out from under her. Bobby shoved the Okami toward the blades and blood and flesh started to come out of the other end of the wood chipper…where Marcy was standing. Bobby was hit with some of the blood as the rest of the Okami was shredded. Bobby then walked towards the controls and turned off the wood chipper.

"I, uh—I thought your chipper was broke." Bobby looked at Marcy.

Marcy was covered in blood and was in shock. "I just said that to get you over here."

"Oh." Bobby paused. "Well, I guess I could come over for dinner some night. Might be fun."

Marcy shook her head. "I don't think so."

Bobby sighed and nodded. "Story of my life."


	8. Weekend at Bobby's Part 2

Bobby was on the phone with Rufus.

 _“You’re still alive, huh,”_ Rufus said over the phone.

“Don’t act so surprised.” Bobby rolled his eyes.

 _“How about Godzilla?”_ Rufus asked.

“Put her down.” Bobby shrugged.

 _“So you just happened to have a bamboo dagger blessed by a Shinto priest laying around?”_ Rufus scoffed.

“Woodchipper.” Bobby corrected.

Rufus paused for a moment. _“Oh, okey-dokey. Wood chipper, that—that pretty much trumps everything.”_

Bobby nodded and there was a pause between them.

 _“Look, listen, Bobby, thank you,”_ Rufus said sincerely. _“I screwed up.”_

“Forget it.” Bobby shrugged. “I figure I still owe you more than you owe me.”

 _“Alrighty, then add one more thing to the list,”_ Rufus replied. _“I got a lead on your boy Crowley.”_

Bobby grabbed a pencil.

 _“Aka Fergus Roderick MacLeod,”_ Rufus explained. _“Born in Canisbay, Scotland, 1661.”_

“Great,” Bobby replied. “I don’t know what that’s gonna get me.”

 _“Alright. Well, then, behind door number two, Bob, Crowley had a son.”_ Rufus replied.

Bobby raised a brow, interested. “Did he now?”

 _“Yeah, by the name of Gavin,”_ Rufus replied. _“Moved across the pond when his parents bit it. Captained a trading ship that went down in Massachusetts in 1723.”_ He added. _“Couple of Cousteau wannabes found the wreck about 30 years ago.”_

“They fish out his bones?” Bobby asked.

 _“No. No. They did find his signet ring though.”_ Rufus replied. _“It’s part of the ‘Treasures from the Deep’ exhibit at the Maritime Museum at Andover.”_

“I need that ring,” Bobby replied.

 _“Oooh. Oooh, are you, um—you askin’ for my help, Bob?”_ Rufus asked.

Bobby looked at the phone like he wished he could strangle it.

 _“Bobby?”_ Rufus asked.

Bobby looked irritated. “I’m asking for a ring. And I’d appreciate your help getting it.”

Rufus chuckled. _“I’m way ahead of you, brother. I’m headed for Andover now. I should be there about midnight.”_ He explained. _“You’re, um…you’re thinking hostage exchange, aren’t you?”_ he asked. _“I mean, you get this ring, you can summon Junior’s ghost. Get the ghost, you can swap Crowley his son for your soul.”_

“Something like that.” Bobby sighed.

_“Let’s hope that works out.”_

~/~\~

Bobby opened the refrigerator to get the cobbler Marcy made him. He picked up a knife to cut a slice when his phone rang. He put down the knife to answer the phone. The caller ID said ‘John P. Jones’.

“Dean.” Bobby greeted. “You alright?”

~/~\~

Dean and Angela sat at the table in their motel room. Dean had his phone on speaker.

“Yeah.” Dean nodded. “Yeah, the Lamia grilled up fine.”

 _“I sense a ‘but’ coming on,”_ Bobby replied.

Angela swallowed thickly. “It’s Sam, Bobby.” Her voice cracked slightly. “He’s just—he’s different.”

Dean nodded in agreement. “You know, I get it. You go through something like that and—and you change.”

“But something’s not right, Bobby.” Angela continued. She saw Sam outside the motel talking on the phone. “It’s not…It doesn’t really seem like Sam.”

~/~\~

Bobby heard the other line beeping and checked the caller ID. “Dean, Angie…”

 _“We got a few questions…”_ Dean interrupted. _“About that year. You saw him and we didn’t.”_

“I got another call.” Bobby sighed.

~/~\~

Dean’s brows furrowed. “You what?”

 _“Just hang on,”_ Bobby replied. _“I got to take this.”_ Bobby sighed. _“It’s important.”_

Dean laughed slightly. “More important than Sam?” he asked. He heard a click on the line. “Bobby?” he frowned.

Angela sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

~/~\~

Bobby could hear sirens over the phone. “Rufus?”

~/~\~

Rufus was driving extremely fast with police sirens and lights flashing behind him.

“The good news is I snagged the ring, Bobby.” He said. “However…”

~/~\~

Bobby sighed. “Tell me that ain’t—

 _“Yeah, yeah, yeah,”_ Rufus replied. _“Three guesses and one of them—it ain’t the paramedics.”_

Bobby listened helplessly.

 _“Listen, Bobby,”_ Rufus said. _“I gotta stash this ring.”_

“Well, don’t swallow it,” Bobby replied.

Rufus paused. _“Right!”_ he exclaimed. _“I’m swallowing it, Bobby!”_

“Don’t swallow it!” Bobby yelled. He sighed when he heard Rufus swallowing, then drinking something. “Dammit.”

 _“Oh, hell,”_ Rufus muttered.

 _“Hands where I can see them!”_ a police officer could be heard.

 _“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”_ Rufus exclaimed. _“That is unnecessary force! I know my rights!”_

Bobby hung up on Rufus and clicked back to Dean and Angela.

“Still there?” Bobby asked.

~/~\~

Dean ran a hand over his face. “Bobby, what the hell?”

~/~\~

Bobby looked annoyed. “I, uh—sorry.”

~/~\~

“You know you and Angie are the two people that I can talk to about this stuff, about Sam, about leaving Lisa and Ben,” Dean replied. “I mean I don’t—I don’t even know which way is up right now.”

“We’re barely keeping it together here, Bobby.” Angela sighed.

There was silence.

“Bobby?” Dean asked. “Hello?”

 _“I-I hear you, guys,”_ Bobby replied over the phone. _“I-it just ain’t a good time.”_

“Yeah, okay.” Dean scoffed slightly. “Forget it. I mean, we’re baring our freaking souls here, and, uh—and you’ve got stuff to do. So that is—that’s fine. That’s fine but, seriously, a little selfish. Not all about you.”

“Dean.” Angela chastised.

~/~\~

Bobby leaned forward, anger etched on his face. “Where’s Sam?”

~/~\~

Dean looked at Angela, confused.

“He’s outside,” Angela answered.

~/~\~

“Get him,” Bobby demanded. He poured himself a drink as Dean fetched Sam.

 _“We’re all here, Bobby,”_ Dean said.

“Sam. Dean. Angie.” Bobby sighed. “I love you like my own. I do. But sometimes…” he paused to take a long drink. “Sometimes…you three are whiniest, most self-absorbed people I ever met! I’m selfish? Me?” he ranted. “I do everything for you! Everything! You need some lore scrounged up, you need your asses pulled out of the fire, you need someone to bitch to about each other!”

~/~\~

Sam looked at Dean and Angela, puzzled.

~/~\~

_“You call me and I come through every damn time!” Bobby snapped. “And what do I get for it? Jack with a side of squat!”_

“Bobby—

 _“Do I sound like I’m done?”_ Bobby cut Dean off. _“Now look. I know you’ve got issues.”_ He paced the room. _“God knows I know. But I got a news flash for you. You ain’t the center of the universe! Now, it may have slipped your mind that Crowley owns my soul! And the meter is running! And I will be damned if I’m going to sit around and—and be damned! So how about you three sack up and help me for once?”_

~/~\~

 _“Bobby, all-all you got to do is ask,”_ Sam replied.

 _“Anything you need…we’re there,”_ Dean assured.

 _“And seriously…thank you. For everything, Bobby.”_ Angela added.

~/~\~

Bobby, still cooling off, shook his head.

~/~\~

Bobby leaned on a car, arms crossed, waiting. Sheriff Mills drove up, put the patrol car in park, and turned off the engine.

“I got a call from Marcy Wards.” She commented. “Seems she had a little ‘home invasion’? Told her I’d look into it.” She added. She smiled slightly. “Didn’t bother filing a report.”

“Thanks,” Bobby replied. He took a deep breath. “I need a favor.”

“Luther Vandros show up?” Sheriff Mills asked. “Tell him I’m a fan.”

“His real name is Rufus Turner,” Bobby replied. “He’s being held in Andover, Mass.” He added. “On a burglary charge. I need you to get him extradited here.”

“Extradited?” Sheriff Mills asked. “Extradited for what?”

“Murder,” Bobby said bluntly.

Sheriff Mills laughed, then realized the Bobby wasn’t joking. “You’re not joking? Do you have any idea what it takes to extradite a prisoner? I’d need a court order, permission from the DA…I-I would have to call in every marker I’ve got and handed out a few to boot.”

“So you’re saying there’s a chance,” Bobby said.

“And if by some miracle we can get him here, then what?” Sheriff Mills asked. “Then your pal’s here on a murder charge. How are you gonna get him out from under that one?”

“Let me handle the B side,” Bobby assured.

Sheriff Mills laughed. “I like you, Bobby.” She said sincerely. “But this could nuke my career.”

Bobby sighed. “Look, I’ve done a lot for this town. Some you know about. Some you don’t.” he replied. “And I’m not real good at this whole asking for help thing but—

“I’m sorry, Bobby.” Sheriff Mills sighed. “I can’t.” she shook her head. She started the patrol car and drove off.

~/~\~

Bobby poured himself a drink. He was about to take a drink when he heard knocking on the door. Bobby opened the door to see Sheriff Mills…with Rufus.

“Miss me?” Rufus smiled.

Rufus walked into Bobby’s kitchen. Bobby looked in shock at Sheriff Mills.

“How did you—

Sheriff Mills shook her head. “Don’t ask. You got one hour, then I call the feds and tell them he busted out.”

“Thanks,” Bobby said sincerely.

“I lose my job over this, I am taking it out on your ass!” she replied.

Sheriff Mills left as Bobby nodded to himself. Bobby then turned his attention to Rufus, who was looking around the kitchen.

“Please tell me the ring is still in your stomach,” Bobby said.

Rufus fished in his pants pocket and produced the ring for Bobby. Bobby looked at the ring.

“I’ll go boil some water.” Bobby walked off.

“What?” Rufus shrugged.

~/~\~

Bobby poured a circle of salt and appeared to be performing a summoning spell.

“Amate spiritus oscorte tae quadaramos nobiscume quadre ahpule nos chikitara.” He chanted.

Bobby threw something at a candle that made the flame flare high. Bobby could soon see his breath in front of him. There was a ghost flickering to his right. Bobby slowly turned to look at the spirit.

“Gavin MacLeod?” Bobby asked.

“Yes.” Gavin nodded. “Is—is this hell?”

“That’s gonna depend on you,” Bobby replied. “You Fergus MacLeod’s boy?” He raised a brow. He watched as Gavin nodded. “You and me…we’re gonna have a nice long chat.”

~/~\~

Bobby was performing another summoning ritual. This time Crowley showed up and he looked very annoyed.

“Well, you look like hammered crap,” Bobby said.

“And you’re a vision as always.” Crowley sassed.

Bobby and Crowley looked each other over, then Crowley looked up to see that he was standing beneath a devil’s trap.

“Don’t we both know how this game ends?” Crowley sighed. “Really Bobby, you gotta know when to fold ‘em.”

“Word on the street is that ever since Lucifer went to the pokey, you’re the big kahuna downstairs,” Bobby said.

“I see you’ve been reading the trades.” Crowley nodded.

“Trouble in paradise?” Bobby raised a brow.

“Mate. You…have no idea.” Crowley got a glass and poured a drink he had brought himself. “I thought…when I got the corner office…” he dropped some antacid in the drink. “I thought it was all going to be rainbows and two-headed puppies. But, if I’m being honest, it’s been hell.” He took a drink.

“I thought that was the point.” Bobby sassed.

Crowley finished his drink and put the glass on the table. “You know what the problem with demons is?”

“They’re demons,” Bobby said obviously.

“Exactly.” Crowley nodded. “Evil lying prats. The whole lot of them. And stupid. Try to show them a—a new way, a better way. And what do you get?” he ranted. “Bugger all. You know, there’s days that I think Lucifer’s whole ‘spike anything with black eyes’ plan wasn’t half bad. Hmm. Feels good to get it off my chest. We should make this a thing.”

“Do I look like Dr. Phil to you?” Bobby asked sarcastically.

“A little.” Crowley shrugged. “Anyhoo. Obviously not here for a social call. So on with it.”

“I want—

Crowley grunted to interrupt and put up his hand. “Save you the recap. In fact I’ll do the shorthand for you.” He pointed at Bobby and started imitating him. “I want my soul back, idjit.” He said. He pointed to himself. “’Fraid not.” He said. He pointed at Bobby again. “But I’m surly and I got a beard. Gimme! Blah, blah, blah. Homespun cornpone insult, witty retort from yours truly. The bottom line is, you get bubkes. Are we done?”

“Just getting started,” Bobby replied.

Bobby looked over to his left and Gavin appeared. Crowley looked startled. He looked at Gavin, then Bobby, and back to Gavin.

“Gavin?” Crowley asked. “It—it’s been so long. I love you so—sorry.” Crowley broke. “Your soul for my boy, is that it, right? I’ve got to give you credit for thinking outside the box on that one, but, problem is…I loathe the little bastard.” Crowley added. “You want to torture him, just let me pull up a chair and watch. Hell, burn his bones and send him down to me and we can have a family reunion. That right, son? You picked the wrong bargaining chip this time, my friend.”

“He ain’t a chip,” Bobby replied. “I was just using him to dig up dirt on you. And since Gavin hates you maybe even more than you hate him, he was more than happy to squawk.”

Crowley narrowed his eyes. “What did you tell him, son?”

Gavin smiled wickedly. “Everything.” He replied. He looked very satisfied then flickered out.

Bobby walked towards Crowley. “I know it all now. You may be king of dirtbags here but, in life, you were nothing but a two-bit tailor who sold his soul in exchange for an extra three inches below the belt.”

Crowley shrugged. “Just trying to hit double digits.” He replied. “So, you got a glimpse behind the curtain. And?”

“And now I know where you’re planted,” Bobby replied. He picked up a cellphone and tossed it at Crowley.

Crowley put the phone up to his ear.

 _“Hiya, Crowley,”_ Dean said over the phone.

“Dean.” Crowley greeted. “It’s been a long time. We should get together.”

~/~\~

Dean had the phone on speaker. “Sure. We’ll have to do that when I get back.”

 _“Back?”_ Crowley asked over the phone, confused.

“Yeah.” Dean nodded. “Me, Angie, and Sam—we’ve gone international. In fact, we’re in your neck of the woods.” He said, looking at the open grave.

“Did you really used to wear a skirt?” Angela asked.

 _“A kilt.”_ Crowley corrected. _“I had very athletic calves. What’s the game?”_

“Dominoes,” Dean replied. “In fact, we just dug yours up.”

Sam, Dean, and Angela looked down at a pile of bones.

~/~\~

Crowley looked at Bobby. “This is ridiculous.” He said. “The whole burning bones thing—it’s a myth.”

“I know an employee of yours who would disagree,” Bobby replied.

“Huh,” Crowley muttered. “That’s where she got to.”

“You demons.” Bobby scoffed. “You think you’re something special. But you’re just spirits. Twisted, perverted, evil spirits. But, end of the day, you’re nothing but ghosts with an ego. We torch your bones, you go up in flames.”

Over the phone, Dean could be heard clicking a lighter. _“You hear that, Crowley?”_ he asked. _“That’s me flicking my Bic for you.”_

“Your bones for my soul.” Bobby offered. “Going once…” he started. “Going twice.”

Crowley tossed the phone to the ground. “Bollocks.”

Crowley raised his palm to reveal the contract on Bobby’s arms, he then turned his hand over and in a wiping motion began to erase the contract.

“You can go ahead and leave in the part about my legs,” Bobby said.

Crowley rolled his eyes but did as he was told. The rest of the contract disappeared.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” Bobby nodded.

“Now if you don’t mind,” Crowley said, looking up at the devil’s trap over his head.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were still standing over Crowley’s bones. Crowley appeared behind them carrying a bag.

“I believe those are mine,” Crowley said, causing the three hunters to look at him.

“You know, now that I think about it, maybe I’ll just napalm your ass anyhow.” Dean glared.

Crowley just looked at Dean as Sam extinguished the flame of the lighter in Dean’s hand.

“Dean, he’s a dick, but a deal’s a deal.” Sam sighed.

Crowley walked past the hunters. “I don’t need you to fight my battle for me, Moose. Get bent.” He said as he inspected the bones and put them in the bag. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’ve a little hell to raise.” He said before disappearing.

~/~\~

 _“I appreciate you three lending a hand,”_ Bobby said over the phone.

“Hey, any time we get to punk Crowley works for us,” Angela replied.

“Yeah.” Sam agreed.

 _“Still, knowing how much you love flying the friendly skies, I guess a nine-hour plane trip was no picnic,”_ Bobby said. _“What did you do, drink your way through it?”_

“I was fine,” Dean assured.

“No, he white-knuckled his way through four puke bags.” Sam laughed.

“But at least I was sober.” Dean defended. “If some nutjob decided to try something, I was ready. I had a fork.”

Bobby laughed and then paused. _“Listen.”_ He said seriously. _“Um, about the things I said earlier. I was in a tough spot and I-I guess I was—_

“You were right, Bobby.” Angela cut him off. “We take you for granted.”

“You’ve been cleaning up our messes for years, Bobby,” Dean replied. “Without you, I don’t even want to think about where me, Sam, and Angie would’ve ended up.”

Sam and Angela nodded in agreement.

Bobby was silent for a moment. _“Okay then, let’s roll credits on this chick flick.”_ He cleared his throat. _“You three have a safe flight. And, uh, try some of the local grub, I hear it’s…exotic.”_

“Oh, yeah, no, definitely.” Dean nodded. “We are. I hear they have an Olive Garden.”

Sam looked at Dean and Angela rolled her eyes.

“Talk to you later, Bobby,” Angela said before Sam hung up the phone.


	9. Live Free or Twihard Part 1

Dean stood next to the Impala, talking to Lisa on the phone.

"Hey—so, uh, I'm actually not far," Dean said. "I'm about a night's drive."

 _"Yeah?"_ Lisa said over the phone, hope lacing her voice. _"So, ya think…?"_

"Well, there's some stuff I gotta do here first." Dean sighed.

 _"Of course,"_ Lisa replied.

"But I was thinkin' that, uh, I'll wrap up here, and, y'know, make sure I'm not followed…" Dean started. "I'll have to take side streets, and I'd have to come at night-

 _"Will you just shut up and get your ass home?"_ Lisa interrupted happily. _"I can't wait to see you. This phone thing's getting old."_

Dean smiled. "Yeah."

 _"Well, call us when you're close."_ She said. _"And be careful."_

"Course." He replied before hanging up. "Hey." He said as Sam and Angela approached.

"What're you so stoked about?" Sam raised a brow.

"What?" Dean asked. "Nothin'. Whattya got?"

Angela handed over a pile of missing person fliers, which Dean leafed through. "Six girls in seven days, which is more disappearances than this city has seen in over a year—all about the same age," Angela explained.

"And cute," Dean said, causing Sam to scoff. "Hey, ice cream comes in lots of flavors, Sam."

"Right. Sure." Sam rolled his eyes. "Well, half a dozen girls, late teens, a shower away from greatness. Sounds like a profile. I mean, what else they got in common?"

"Well…six directions to go here," Dean replied. "Pick a number."

"Seven." Angela corrected. "Another call just came in today."

The three of them got into the Impala.

~/~\~

The Impala drove down the road.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were speaking to Kristin's father.

"Kristin's a good kid." The man said. "A little naïve, sure…you try to be a good parent. Girls are hard."

"Right." Sam nodded. "Well, we'd just like to find your daughter."

The man paused. "Last door on the left."

Angela glanced upstairs. "Thanks."

Sam, Dean, and Angela went upstairs. Sam gave a quick glance back to the father.

"Whaddya think he was talking about?" Dean asked quietly.

"Drugs?" Sam suggested.

Dean shrugged. They entered Kristin's room and Dean flipped on the light. The walls were painted red and covered with vampire posters. Vampire and gothic accessories were everywhere—there were even vampire pillows on the bed.

"Oh, it is so much worse," Dean said, looking around at the vampire-themed room.

Sam snorted. "Vampires?"

Dean shook his head. "Ah, these aren't vampires, these…these are douchebags."

"Yeah." Angela agreed. "Also, what's so sexy about a vamp?" She scoffed.

They all glanced around the room.

"Wow." Dean shook his head.

"Hm." Sam went to the bed and started flipping back the covers. He looked under a pillow and found a red laptop. "Aha. Alright." He moved over to her desk. "Let's see what we can see. Alright."

He turned on the laptop; it made a screaming noise and a picture of an intense-looking fake vampire popped up. The three hunters flinched.

"Th-that's just…uncomfortable," Sam said.

"What's he so bummed out about?" Angela asked.

Sam started pressing keys; a password prompt popped up. Dean looked down and saw a paperback book on the desk, entitled _'My Summer Blood'_. The cover illustration was a teenage girl in a white nightgown, asleep on a bed, while a pale-skinned, handsome male vampire stood next to the open, moonlight-soaked window, staring down at her.

"Look at this," Dean said. "He's watching her sleep. How is that not rapey?"

"I gotta concentrate here, Dean," Sam replied.

Dean showed Angela the cover, causing her to contort her face in disgust. Dean started flipping through the pages. Sam tried the password 'DRACULA'. The laptop made the screaming noise again.

"He could hear the blood rushing inside her, almost taste it." Dean read. "He tried desperately to control himself…" he continued as Sam tried another password, and the laptop screamed at him again. "Romero knew their love was impossible," Dean added. He frowned. " _Romero?_ Really?"

"Dean. Shut up." Sam sighed.

"This is a national bestseller. How is that possible?" Dean continued ranting. He picked up one of the vampire pillows. Sam tried yet another password that failed. "Hey, try, uh…" Dean thought for a moment. "Lautner."

Sam typed it in. "Wait—he's a werewolf."

"More importantly, how do you even know who that is, Dean?" Angela asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Dean scoffed. "That kid's everywhere. It's a freakin' nightmare."

The laptop rejected this password as well. Sam started to get frustrated; Dean mouthed 'wow' as he chucked the pillow back onto the bed.

"Hey, how many T's are there in Pattins—Sam started as he entered the password. The computer accepted it. "That's it. We're in! Ha!" he said victoriously as he started looking through a Facebook-style page. "Alright."

"Well?" Angela raised a brow.

"Well, her inbox is full, from some guy claiming to be a vampire," Sam replied.

"A real vampire?" Dean raised a brow.

"Well, uh… 'I can only meet you at night…I don't trust myself with you…the call of your blood is too strong…'" Sam read. "Vampires fishing for victims?"

"Probably just a human mouth-breather, right?" Dean asked.

"On the other hand—talk about easy prey." Angela sighed.

"For actual vamps." Dean nodded.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "I mean, these chicks are just throwing themselves at you. All you gotta do is…I dunno. Write bad poetry."

"Huh," Dean muttered.

"Wow." Sam's brows shot up. "This guy wanted to meet her at a place called The Black Rose."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Gimme a break…"

"Just reporting the news." Sam shrugged.

"It's probably just your standard-issue perv, right?" Dean asked.

Sam closed the laptop.

~/~\~

Sam was next to the Impala, talking to Samuel on his cell. Dean and Angela approached and loaded gear into the car.

"Okay," Sam said. "So now, you're sure it's vampires? A hundred percent?"

 _"Definitely,"_ Samuel replied over the phone. _"We got a pattern now. Kids go missing, blood bank van gets jumped. This is the fourth town. The clincher is, this last hit? The driver was found, throat ripped out."_

"Okay." Sam nodded. "They grab kids, that's food, right? But if they already got a bunch of walking, talking juice bars…why bother with the bloodmobile? It doesn't add up."

 _"Find the nest,"_ Samuel demanded. _"Figure it out."_

Sam sighed and hung up.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela sat at a table in The Black Rose.

"Well, we've hit Ground Zero for emo chicks…" Dean mumbled. A waitress in a rubber suit came over to give them their drinks. "Thank you," Dean said before the woman walked away. "You think she wears all that rubber to the beach?" Dean asked.

"Sounds like that would be uncomfortable," Angela replied as she sipped her drink.

Sam was canvassing the bar, not paying attention to the conversation.

"When was the last time the three of us had a beer together, anyway?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded. "There." He said. They studied a teenage boy in a black coat and dog collar talking with a teenage girl. "Whaddya think?" Sam looked at Dean and Angela. "He's hittin' on her hard enough. Real?"

"I dunno." Dean shrugged. "It's hard to tell."

Angela looked around the room and saw two other young men talking with girls. "Hey, we got multiple choice." She nodded.

"Okay." Sam nodded. "Three of them and three of us." He shrugged.

The three hunters watched as one of the men kissed the other guy.

Dean blinked a few times, processing it. "Okay. Make that two of them."

Sam saw the teenage boy with the dog collar move to escort his new friend outside. "One's on the move," Sam said.

The other man they had their eye on left the room as well.

"Alright," Dean said. "You two go with Efron, I got Bieber."

They parted ways. Sam and Angela followed the older of the two guys down into the lower level of the bar, and finally into the basement. Something seemed… _off._ The vampire they were following was hiding behind the door, and sprung at them, fangs out. In one swift motion, Sam decapitated him with his machete. The body fell. Sam wasn't rattled a bit. Angela's brows furrowed together as she watched the event occur. Something was wrong with Sam, she just knew it.

~/~\~

The teenage boy and girl ran into the alley, giggling.

"Are you sure, baby?" the boy smirked. "Are you ready to join me in eternity?" he asked as he pressed her up against the door and started kissing her neck.

"Oh my God, totally." She breathed.

He was about to take a bit when Dean grabbed him from behind and threw him back.

"Hey!" the boy yelled.

Dean looked at the girl. "Go—get outta here!"

"Wait, what…" the boy started babbling a bit as Dean slammed him against the dumpster. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Open your mouth!" Dean demanded. The boy obeyed, revealing two fangs on his canine teeth. Dean looked disgusted. "Take those out. Take 'em out!" Dean snapped. "Oh, for the love of…what're you, twelve?" he asked as the boy took them out. Dean took a closer look. "Are you wearing glitter?"

"I only do it to get laid, man!" the boy defended.

Dean was suddenly interested. "Does it work?" he asked curiously. The boy shrugged and nodded slightly. "I'll be damned," Dean muttered. "Alright, mmmbop your way outta here. Go, go! And use a condom!" he said as the boy ran off. Dean started to walk away.

"You're pretty…" a gruff voice said.

Dean turned and found himself face-to-face with Boris. "I'm sorry?"

"I said…you're pretty," Boris smirked.

"Yeah, sorry again, pal," Dean replied. "I don't play for your team."

Boris grabbed Dean and launched him into the air. Dean landed on the dumpster, hard, and rolled off into a pile of garbage bags. He took a few moments to recover, his vision blurry. As Boris approached him, Dean, dazed, grabbed hold of a large pipe and took a swing at Boris, who ducked the attack easily. He soon had Dean pinned against the dumpster and began punching him into submission. Sam and Angela walked into the alley. Sam quickly surveyed the situation and ran a few steps. Angela started walking ahead of him. Suddenly, Sam stopped, fascinated. He grabbed Angela's wrist tightly, preventing her from moving forward. Angela looked back at Sam and struggled against his grip. His hand only tightened around her wrist. Boris by now had Dean completely at his mercy. He pinned Dean with his right arm, just below his throat; Boris then brought his left wrist up to his fangs and bit. Dean was helpless, unable to move; Boris smeared his blood over Dean's mouth. Dean made a guttural noise in protest but couldn't defend himself. A corner of Sam's mouth twitched up into a little smirk, and Angela stared at him, terrified. After he was sure that Dean had swallowed some of Boris' blood, Sam let go of Angela and pulled out his machete.

"No!" Sam yelled.

"Dean!" Angela cried.

Sam rushed towards Boris, who released Dean; who collapsed onto the ground. Angela ran towards Dean and knelt down next to him. Sam and Boris stopped and sized one another up for a second. Sam made a few slashes with the machete, which Boris quickly evaded. He laughed and made a 'bye-bye' wave before running away and climbing up the wall and escaping. Dean lied on the ground next to the dumpster, panting, blood all over his mouth.

Dean looked up at Angela. "Angie…you need to get away." He said weakly.

Sam looked over at Dean and tried his best to look shocked and concerned. Angela looked up at Sam, narrowing her eyes at him slightly.


	10. Live Free or Twihard Part 2

Sam shut the curtains and Angela turned off the lights in the room. Dean held his hand to his head. The regular noises of the city were now amplified in his head.

"Oh my God, what is that sound?" Dean groaned.

"What sound, Dean?" Angela asked softly.

Dean pushed over the lamp and it crashed to the floor. The siren and honking of a passing fire truck got louder. He heard the muffled sounds of the TV in the neighboring room. He pounded on the wall. Every noise was deafening, from his footsteps to the clicks of the light switches. Now Sam and Angela's heartbeats reached Dean's ears. Sam's was steady, and Angela's was quicker.

"Dean…you should sit down…" Sam suggested.

"You sit down." Dean snapped. He sat on the edge of one of the beds and cradled his head in his hand. A passing freight train pounded into his ears. "Of all the ways to die, I never thought I'd be going out like this."

"Dean, nobody is 'going out'," Angela assured.

Dean heard a loud, mechanical ticking sound. He looked over at the nightstand and watched the alarm clock flip over to 11:11. He got up. "Is that…"

"What?" Sam asked confused.

Dean roughly ripped the clock's cord out of the wall, which caused sparks to shoot out. He faced Sam and Angela.

"Samuel is gonna kill me when he gets here," Dean said.

"No, Dean, don't say that!" Angela pleaded.

"Yes, he is, 'cause I'm gonna ask him to because you two won't do it," Dean replied.

"Okay, just hold on a second…" Sam started.

"For what, huh?" Dean snapped. "Look at me!"

"We can figure this out!" Sam replied.

"How?!" Dean yelled. Dean was now picking up on how calm Sam's heartbeat was. "Why aren't you freaked out?" he asked suspiciously.

"Of course I am!" Sam defended.

"Really?" Dean raised a brow. "'Cause I can hear your heartbeat, and it's pretty damn steady. Angie's heartbeat isn't that steady…it's not steady at all."

"That's 'cause I'm…I'm trying to remain calm," Sam lied. "Dean, look—Samuel will know what to do."

"C'mon." Dean scoffed. "I'm a monster, okay? This is not a problem that you spit-ball. We gotta deal with this before I hurt somebody."

There was an uncomfortable pause. Dean held his head again and groaned.

"How's it feel?" Sam asked suddenly.

Angela looked over at Sam, almost disgusted that he would ask that.

" _Now?"_ Dean raised a brow. "Now you wanna talk about my feelings?"

"No, I mean…physically," Sam replied.

"How do you think it feels?" Dean snapped. "Not good!" He added before he crossed towards the bathroom.

"Where are you goin'?" Sam sighed.

"Bathroom, okay?" Dean replied. "News flash, Mr. Wizard: vampires pee!" He snapped as he stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door.

Sam sighed and noticed Angela staring at him. "What?" he asked, confused.

Angela shook her head. "You let him get turned." She accused.

Sam scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're sick, Sam." Angela shook her head. "Something is _wrong_ with you."

In the bathroom, Dean splashed some water on his face, the looked at his reflection. He lifted his lip with his finger to reveal that his fangs have already grown in. He hung his head and closed his eyes in absolute despair. After a moment, he turned the water on again. In the main room, Sam was about to get a glass of water and Angela was pacing. Suddenly, she heard a noise coming from the bathroom. She knocked on the door.

"Dean?" she asked. Angela opened the door to find that Dean had escaped through the bathroom window; the blinds hung askew. "Crap."

~/~\~

Dean stood in Lisa's bedroom, watching her sleep. A barking dog woke her; Lisa saw Dean and sat up, startled.

"Dean." She breathed.

"Hey." He replied.

She turned on her nightstand lamp, and it blinded him. He looked away. He could hear her heart beating.

"Hey," Lisa mumbled sleepily. "I wasn't expecting you for a couple of days."

"Yeah, yeah…" Dean nodded. "I wanted to see you." He sat on the bed.

"What's up? Are you okay?" Lisa asked.

"Listen…" Dean started.

Lisa started to catch on that something was wrong. "What's going on?"

"It doesn't matter." Dean shook his head. "But I need you to know…you and Ben…just, uh…Thanks. Okay? For everything."

Lisa slid out from under the covers and moved closer to him, her heartbeat quickening a little. "Dean, you're scaring me."

Dean could smell her blood now…never mind the fact that she wasn't wearing all that much. He clenched his jaw and tried to ignore it. He rose and took a few steps.

"Oh, God, I'm Pattinson…" Dean mumbled.

"What?" Lisa asked, confused.

"Nothing." Dean shook his head. "I…I gotta go…"

"No, you can't just show up here like this and—

"Believe me, I wish it was different." Dean interrupted.

"Just stop and explain to me what's going on out there." Lisa pleaded.

Dean paused and shook his head miserably. "Lisa, I can't bring this crap home to you."

"You're talking about your work?" she asked.

"I'm talking about my life." He corrected. "It's ugly…and it's violent…and I'm gonna die—soon."

Lisa was visibly upset now. "Just tell me." She pleaded. "Just tell me what the hell is going on…"

Lisa grabbed Dean's arms. Dean stared at her, listened to her heartbeat, and couldn't stand it any longer. He grabbed her shoulders and pressed her against the wall roughly. Her heart rate skyrocketed. Dean's eyes narrowed as he moved in close to Lisa; her chest started heaving. His mouth started to stray slowly towards her throat, but he pulled himself away and faced the other direction. His new fangs descended.

"Dean?" Lisa asked, confused.

"I gotta go…" Dean replied.

Dean fled into the hallways, covering his mouth with his hand. Ben emerged from his room, rubbing his eyed.

"Dean…?" Ben asked, confused.

"Ben, just stay there," Dean said.

"I thought I heard you—Ben started.

"I said stay back!" Dean snapped. Dean pushed Ben away and into the wall before tearing out of the house.

Lisa quickly pulled Ben to safety and stared at Dean.

~/~\~

Sam, Angela, and Samuel entered the room. Samuel carried a large duffel bag.

"Can't keep track of Dean now?" Samuel looked at Sam and Angela.

"Well, we didn't think he'd just—" Sam started.

"He's not himself, Sam." Samuel interrupted. "He's a monster and he's hungry. You two gotta be prepared to do the right thing."

"I told you he'd kill me when he showed up," Dean said suddenly.

Sam, Angela, and Samuel looked over to see Dean hunched against a cabinet, in the dark. Sam and Samuel quickly drew their machetes.

"Did you feed?" Samuel asked.

"I went to say goodbye to Lisa…which, for the record, was a lousy idea," Dean replied.

"Dean, answer the question," Samuel replied sternly.

"You can relax, I didn't 'drink' anyone," Dean replied.

"Thank God." Samuel sighed, relieved.

"But I came close," Dean said, removing his jacket. "Alright. Do it."

"Okay…if you insist…" Samuel trailed off. "Or I can just turn you back."

Dean and Angela went wide-eyed, surprised. "What?" they both asked.

"What?!" Sam asked, acting surprised.

Samuel gave Sam an odd look but turned his attention back to Dean.

"I didn't drive all this way to kill you, Dean—I'm here to save you," Samuel said.

~/~\~

The four hunters sat at the table. Samuel opened his journal and slid it to Dean.

"That's my grandfather's journal," Samuel said. "Cure's an old Campbell recipe, kind of like the soup. No one's tried it since God knows. What I hear…this stuff is a bad trip."

"Awesome," Dean muttered.

"Hey—the cure is good," Samuel assured. "But a lot of this is on you. You drink, you're done. It won't work. I'm talking one drop of human blood—

"I got it." Dean cut him off.

"Do you?" Samuel asked. "Because you will feed. It's a matter of time."

Dean slammed the journal shut. "What else do we need?"

"Some stuff we got, some we gotta get," Samuel replied. "Trickiest thing on the list: the blood of the fang that turned ya."

"That guy was huge," Angela replied.

"There's nothing in the recipe about 'easy'." Samuel retorted.

Dean stood up. "I can get it."

"You're gonna walk right into the nest?" Samuel raised a brow.

"Well, I'm one of them, aren't I?" Dean shrugged. "So all I gotta do is get in there, get the guy alone, and…shoot him with so much dead man's blood that he'll think he's rushing a fraternity."

"Angie and I should come with you," Sam said.

"No." Dean shook his head. "You two reek. You're like walking hamburgers. I gotta do this solo."

"Yeah, except—we haven't been able to find him yet," Sam replied.

Dean put on his jacket. "No problem." He shrugged. "I can smell him. Two miles east of town. You guys get the other crap and meet me there." He added before heading towards the door.

Sam, Angela, and Samuel stood up.

"Dean." Samuel held out a large syringe filled with blood. "It's dead man's blood. Now, there's enough there to drop a linebacker, and then some. Good luck, son."

Dean took the syringe and left. Sam and Angela started packing up supplies. Samuel eyed Sam warily.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Sam?" Samuel asked.

Sam stopped. "Whaddya mean?" he asked innocently.

"You _knew_ about the cure!" Samuel snapped.

Angela looked up at Sam, frowning. "Sam…is that true?"

"What?" Sam scoffed. "Of course it's not true, Angie."

"Sam, we talked about it months ago," Samuel said.

"Sam, what the hell—" Angela started.

"Not me." Sam cut her off, looking at Samuel. "Must've been Christian or something."

"Huh," Samuel said. "That's strange, 'cause if you _had_ known, it'd be almost like you let him get turned. Get a man on the inside. Help us find the alpha vamp we've been looking for?"

Angela looked at the two men and opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off.

"Are you serious?" Sam glared at Samuel. "You think I'd do something like that, risk my own brother? What's wrong with you? How dare you and Angie accuse me of that!" he snapped. "Look, I'm just relieved we can fix him." He finished gathering their supplies and walked out of the room.

Angela shook her head. "Something's wrong with him. Seriously wrong." She looked at Samuel. "He prevented me from helping Dean." She admitted. "He just…watched as it happened."

~/~\~

The vampires' black SUV was parked in front of a warehouse. Two vamps exited the building through a metal-grate door. As it started to swing shut, Dean attached a rope to it, keeping the door open. He avoided the vamps and snuck into the building.

~/~\~

Dean started to sneak through the hallway of the run-down warehouse when his way was suddenly blocked by Rober.

"S'up?" Robert raised a brow.

"Hey," Dean replied, trying to be cool. "I'm…"

"The guy Boris turned outside the bar, right?" Robert asked. "Said to look out for you."

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"Well." Robert smiled. "Glad you made it, man! Follow me." He led Dean through the hallways. "So you must be starving."

"Uh…" Dean trailed off.

Robert walked up to a fridge full of blood bags. He slid the door open and selected a bag. Dean was unhappy with this new temptation.

"Here ya go." Robert offered.

Dean paused for a moment. "I'm okay." He shrugged slightly. "I killed so many people on the way over here, so…"

"Yeah, uh, about that…" Robert started. "Company line is we, we don't just kill people anymore…But you gotta tell me what that's like."

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "Yeah, first chance I get, I'll…I'll show you myself."

"Sweet." Robert grinned.

Robert ripped the stopper off the bag and took a swig. Dean eyed the blood bags once more but forced himself away. He followed Robert down a flight of stairs, through a crowd of more vampires.

"Don't worry about them," Robert assured. "They're jealous. The recruiters get to bang all the chicks. That's you now, bro."

"Recruiters?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. Big man'll explain."

Dean now found himself in what looked like the main room of an old bank. Seated at a desk, in front of a laptop, was a newly-turned Kristin. Boris leaned over her, a hand on her back.

Boris raised a finger. "Be with you in a minute." He said. He turned his attention back to Kristin. "Your skin is the black velvet of the night." He dictated to Kristin. "Nice." He chuckled. "Stupid bitch'll eat that up, she'll be dying to meet."

He leaned in closer and took a long sniff of Kristin's hair, and she recoiled. Dean looked and saw several newly-turned female vamps locked in cages, sucking down blood from bags.

"Go get yourself some blood, sweetheart," Boris instructed. "Then march that little ass back here, okay?" he smirked as Kristin walked off. He looked at Dean. "Thank goodness. Thought those hunters chopped your pretty head."

"Nah." Dean shook his head. "I got away. Sorry, what's a hunter?"

"You'll see if they find us," Boris replied. "You'll see them inside out." He laughed. "You eaten?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"Good. You'll need your strength." Boris replied.

"For?"

"Robert didn't tell you?" Boris raised a brow. "How old do I look?"

Dean paused. "Thirty-three?"

"You're off…by about…six centuries?" Boris replied. "And these are the best days in the last six hundred years to be a vampire." He laughed. "Dracula? Please. These stupid little brats are so horny they've reinvented us as Prince Charming with a Volvo. They…" he reached through the bars of one of the cages and grabbed a girl by the hair. "Want a promise ring with fangs, so I give it to 'em. You—you go out and you get them, and you bring 'em home to me."

"So what's with the cages?" Dean asked.

"Oh, that's just, y'know…till they're compliant," Boris explained. "Eventually these girls will go out, and they'll fetch me boys like you, and around and around we go…"

"Gotta say, I'm impressed," Dean replied. "This whole system, it's…it's all you?"

Boris laughed. "No, no, no, no…I just…implement, y'know?" he shrugged. "Make sure you all fall in line." He added. He pointed to the ceiling. "It's his…our father's…"

"Your father's?" Dean asked curiously.

"Aren't you the curious one?" Boris smirked.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Dean replied.

Boris leaned in closer. "In due time." He whispered. "You…you want the private tour, don't you?"

Dean swallowed thickly, slightly disgusted. "Thought you'd never ask."

Boris stepped away and made a beckoning motion with his finger. He turned his back on Dean and started to walk the other way. Dean reached into his pocket, withdrew the syringe of dead man's blood, and uncapped it. He raised it, ready to plunge—but one drop leaked out and hit the floor. Boris heard it and quickly turned. Dean tried to stab Boris with the needle; Boris grabbed Dean's arm, moved behind him, and twisted his arm behind his back. With his free hand, Boris grabbed Dean in a chokehold.

"You playing games with me, boy?" Boris snarled.

He squeezed Dean's arm until Dean was forced to drop the syringe. Boris began laughing in triumph. But suddenly, Boris' eyes were drawn upwards. He released Dean, and after a moment, fell flat on his back, eyes wide open. Dean looked on, highly confused, then heard the caged vampire girls dropping limply to the floor. Dean fell to the floor as well, a series of visions flashing through his mind.

Dean blinked his eyes and came out of the vision. He rolled over onto his back. He stared up at the stained-glass ceiling, which was blurry. He looked around and suddenly realized that Boris was up and releasing the vampire girls from their cages. Dean rose and started running. One of the vamp guards rushed down the stairs and attacked him, but was quickly brought down after Dean injected him with dead man's blood.

"Go get him!" Boris ordered the vamps.

Dean hightailed it up the stairs; he was attacked by another vamp guard when he reached the top. Dean made quick work of him and tossed him down the stairs and into the crowd of advancing vamps. He quickly beheaded Robert with his machete. The crowd of vamp girls swarmed, and Dean started swinging.

~/~\~

Sam, Angela, and Samuel drove up in Samuel's van, parking in front of the Impala.

"This must be the place," Samuel said.

"Shh…" Sam whispered.

Something landed on the roof of the van. A vampire suddenly peeked out on the driver's side, smashed the window, and reached towards Samuel.

~/~\~

Dean returned to the upper level to the main room. Another vampire guard climbed the railing and attacked; Dean slicked into his stomach, then hacked away at another before decapitating both of them. A third guard started advancing.

~/~\~

Samuel and Angela exited the van; Sam was already out and had taken care of the vampire. The corpse slid down the windshield and left a bloody streak in its wake.

"So much for undercover," Angela muttered.

"Let's go," Sam commanded.

~/~\~

Dean took advantage of his vampire abilities and leaped straight over the railing, landing deftly on the ground below. The nest was quiet—he's killed everyone…almost everyone. His eyes darted back and forth, looking for Boris.

"You've stopped nothing, you know that?" Boris stepped out into the open. "This is much bigger than you and me."

Dean readied the machete. Boris lifted his hand and made a beckoning motion. Up above, Sam, Angela, and Samuel crept through the carnage, machetes out. Headless vampire bodies were strewn everywhere.

"Looks like Dean has some Campbell in him after all," Samuel said grimly.

They arrived in the main room to behold Dean sitting downstairs.

"Dean, you okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Dean replied gruffly.

~/~\~

Samuel squirted a syringe of Boris' blood into a jar that held the cure. Dean was panting, holding his stomach. He heard their heartbeats.

"If this works, you know it's not gonna be a kiddy ride, you know that," Samuel said.

"That's great," Dean muttered. "Light her up."

"So, what'd you see in there?" Sam asked, trying not to sound eager, but failing a bit.

"What?" Dean frowned.

"In the nest—what'd you see?" Sam asked.

"Sam, I can't hear you—your blood is so frickin' loud, okay?" Dean replied. "Just—just back off. Alright, gimme that damn cure." He said as he took the cup. He sniffed it and recoiled. With a grim smile, he lifted the cup. "L'chaim…" he said before chugging the cure messily. Nothing happened. He spat a little bit out. "I don't think it—

Suddenly Dean spun around as he retched, and projectile vomited what appeared to be blood in the wastebasket. Sam, Angela, and Samuel watched, concerned.

"Is it working?" Angela looked at Samuel.

Samuel drew his machete. "Either that or he's dying."

Dean finished vomiting and struggled to take a breath. He raised his head, clutched his stomach, and moaned in agony. His fangs had descended, and his eyes were bloodshot. He started to get flashes of the evening, playing out in reverse…

After a little while, Dean's eyes flew open—they were clear. The world was silent again. He tried to process what he'd just seen. He blinked a few times and struggled to sit up. Sam, Angela, and Samuel rushed over to help him. Sam patted him on the chest, but Dean eyed him strangely. He realized that his brother threw him under the bus…

~/~\~

Sam, Angela, and Samuel packed up their supplies. Dean entered from the bathroom.

"Hi." Sam greeted. "So, what'd you see?"

"What?" Dean asked.

"In the nest." Sam clarified. "What'd you see?"

Dean paused. "Um…well, I'm still trying to work through it, but, uh…I'm pretty sure they're not figuring anything out on their own. They're getting their orders from the top…where to go next, everything."

"Top, as in…?" Samuel raised a brow.

"Their alpha," Dean replied. "At least, that's what I think it is. They've got some sort of psychic thing happening. He sends 'em, uh…I don't know—messages?"

"Saying what?" Sam asked.

"Honestly?" Dean replied. "Recruitment drive. Their alpha's building an army."

"Well, that's comforting," Samuel said sarcastically.

"That's not the worst." Dean sighed.

"Then what is?" Angela frowned.

Dean took a deep breath. "We don't scare them anymore."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were walking to the Impala. Dean stopped her.

"Angie…" he started. "Um…thanks. For trying to save me from getting turned."

Angela swallowed thickly and nodded. "I-I tried, but…Sam…he physically stopped me from helping you."

Dean nodded. "I know." He replied. "I know. Just…thank you."

Angela nodded and paused for a moment. "Something's wrong with him." She whispered. "Like, _really_ wrong. I'm scared of him." She admitted.

Dean sighed deeply. "We're gonna figure out what's going on. Promise. But hey, you and I have each other."

Angela nodded and smiled a small smile. "Yeah. We got each other."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela got to the Impala and saw Sam waiting for them.

Sam looked up. "How'd it go with Lisa?"

"It didn't," Dean replied shortly.

"I'm sorry," Sam replied, though it didn't sound sincere.

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "At least, uh…you got my back." He added. "No matter what happens, Angie and I can always count on you, right, Sammy?"

Sam paused for a moment. "Yeah. Of course."

Dean and Angela didn't believe a word. The three of them got into the Impala and drove off.


	11. You Can't Handle the Truth Part 1

Sam was in line at the hot dog stand. Dean and Angela were walking away, talking to Bobby on the phone.

"It's not Sam, Bobby," Angela said. "He physically kept me from helping Dean. And he just watched it happen!"

 _"We tested him."_ Bobby sighed. _"Salt, silver—everything."_

"He threw me to that vamp," Dean replied. "We're telling you, that's not Sam."

 _"Well, then he's something we ain't ever seen before."_ Bobby sighed.

"Yeah, or it's freakin' Lucifer," Dean grumbled.

 _"Did either of you call Cas?"_ Bobby asked.

"Of course we called Cas," Angela replied. "He's not answering."

"Screw him," Dean added. "We can't wait anymore."

 _"Look, I get it,"_ Bobby replied. _"You're rattled. You're right to be. But let's be professional—_

" _Professional?"_ Dean raised a brow. "He watched me get turned! He kept Angie from helping me!"

 _"Maybe…he was just trying to protect Angie?"_ Bobby suggested.

"No," Angela replied. "There was something _evil_ in his eyes. Something that scared me." She added. "And this isn't the first time, Bobby. He's been different from the jump."

Bobby sighed. _"Alright."_ He conceded. _"I'm with you."_

"Are you?" Dean asked.

 _"Yeah,"_ Bobby assured. _"I'll hit the books, hard. Just… don't shoot him yet, alright? Watch him. We need facts. 'Cause if it ain't Sam…we don't know what it is. And if we're gonna put him down, we need to know how."_

"I don't even want to ride in the same car with him," Dean replied. "Much less work a damn case."

 _"Get in the car,"_ Bobby replied. _"He's your case."_ He added before hanging up.

Sam walked up to Dean and Angela with a newspaper and lunch in hand.

"Hey." Dean greeted. "I was just, uh, I was leaving Lisa a message."

"Still hasn't called you back, huh?" Sam asked.

"No." Dean shook his head.

Sam handed Dean and Angela two foil-wrapped hot dogs. "Sucks."

"Yeah," Dean replied shortly.

Both Dean and Angela looked slightly uncomfortable. Sam looked at them intensely.

"You guys okay?" Sam raised a brow.

"Yeah." Angela shrugged. "We're fine. How are you?"

"Me?" Sam raised a brow. "Great. Here, look. Check this out. Think it might be something." He handed Angela a newspaper featuring the story about Jane Peterson. "Four people, out of nowhere, all in the last couple of weeks. What do you say?"

"Yeah." Angela nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

"Let's go," Sam said.

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela were posing as FBI agents. Dean and Angela explored the house while Sam questioned Olivia.

"I don't understand," Olivia said. "Why would federal investigators be interested in a suicide?"

"Well, um…" Sam trailed off. "It's a new, more caring administration." He smiled.

"Well, I already told the cops." Olivia sighed. "Jane was having a really bad day, so I-I did what any sister would do." She said, playing with her hair. Dean and Angela dropped in. "I…tried to cheer her up, you know? Told her to hang in there."

Sam tilted his head slightly. "You know what a tell is?"

Olivia frowned. "Excuse me?"

"It's a poker term…for when you're bluffing," Sam explained. "Like what you just did with your hair."

"What are you trying to say?" Olivia asked, slightly offended.

"You're lying," Sam replied.

Dean and Angela were surprised at the force of Sam's inquiry.

"What?!" Olivia replied, shocked.

"Tell us what you did to your sister," Sam demanded.

"Sam, what the hell?!" Angela snapped, shocked at him.

Olivia looked at Dean and Angela for reassurance. After a few moments, Olivia broke down as Sam looked vindicated. "Okay. You're right. I was lying." She admitted. "I wanted to tell her, 'I love you. I'm here for you'. Oh, but what came out was… 'You're a burden. Just kill yourself'." She sobbed. "Who says that?! I-I-I just couldn't stop!"

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela were walking back to the car.

"See anything in the house?" Sam asked.

"No hex bags, no sulfur, no EMF." Angela sighed. "You?"

"A tuba and an issue of _Crochet Today_ ," Sam replied. "So, what, already kinda suicidal?"

"Right, and then big sis's Taxicab Confession sends her over the edge." Dean nodded. "Question is, what made big sis open her big, fat mouth in the first place?"

"Yeah, that is the question," Sam muttered.

Sam, Dean, and Angela got into the Impala.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were on the phone with Bobby.

"Hey." Dean greeted. "You got anything?"

 _"I've been up all night lookin',"_ Bobby replied over the phone. _"Nothing fits."_

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "Awesome."

 _"You got anything else to go on?"_ Bobby asked.

"Yeah, my skin crawls being in the same room with him," Angela replied. "Why don't you look that up?"

 _"I'm working on it,"_ Bobby assured.

"I don't know how much longer we can do this, Bobby." Angela sighed. "You got to figure out the hell he is and fast."

 _"I'm trying,"_ Bobby replied. _"But, there's a worst-case scenario."_

"What, Satan's our co-pilot?" Dean scoffed. "Yeah, I know."

 _"Well, that'd be the other worst case,"_ Bobby replied.

"Well, then what?" Angela asked.

 _"Maybe it's just Sam."_ Bobby sighed.

Dean shook his head. "We gotta go."

 _"Dean. Angie."_ Bobby said.

"You got a day, Bobby, and then we're handling this," Dean said before hanging up. Dean took a sip from his beer bottle.

Sam, dressed as an FBI agent, walked into the room. "There was another one."

"Yeah? What?" Angela asked.

"Dentist drilled a guy to death," Sam replied.

"You mean the…non-sexy kind of drilling, right?" Dean raised a brow.

"50 bucks says he mixed up in all the crazy," Sam said eagerly.

"You think?" Angela asked.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Let's go talk to him."

"Okay." Dean nodded, casting a quick glance at Angela. "Uh…why don't you go ahead? We'll catch up. We're gonna do a little research."

Sam frowned, confused. "You sure?"

Angela nodded. "Yeah. We got to know what we're up against, right?"

"Yeah," Sam replied. "Yeah, good idea." He added before exiting.

~/~\~

Sam had been questioning the dental hygienist.

"Thanks a lot," Sam said before walking away. He called Angela.

 _"Anything from Marathon Man?"_ Angela asked over the phone. _"And I'm putting you on speaker."_

"Not exactly," Sam replied. "He hung himself in his cell before I could get to him."

 _"Yikes,"_ Angela muttered.

"But he was definitely involved," Sam said. "Just got the scoop from his assistant."

 _"Yeah?"_ Angel asked.

"Yeah. Let's say the stuff that his patient was confessing to—I'd have murdered him, too." Sam replied.

 _"So, root canal and Russian roulette—both of 'em, it's like they were cursed, right?"_ Dean suggested. _"I mean, people are just compelled to puke the truth all over 'em?"_

"Oh, getting hit with the ugly truth, you go postal?" Sam raised a brow. "I'd call that a curse. Do me a favor—I'm going to the morgue to check out the body. Why don't you two take the dentist's office, see what you see?"

 _"Yeah. No problem."_ Dean replied.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela snuck under the police tape, past the bloodied dental chair, and into Paul's office. There was a saxophone on the credenza. Angela picked up a pack of reeds from Paul's desk and a receipt from Harry's House of Horns.

"Dean." She said, showing him the card.

Dean's brows furrowed slightly. "Hold on…that was the name of the shop on Jane's calendar."

~/~\~

Harry was holding up photos of Paul and Jane that Angela supplied.

"Jane and Dr. Conley." Harry shook his head. "I heard. Awful. What do I have to do with it?"

"Honestly?" Dean replied. "You're the only thing they have in common. Did they say anything to you before they, uh…?"

"Sorry." Harry sighed. "Not really."

"Right." Angela sighed. "Thanks anyway."

"Hey, by the way, how 'bout my horn?" Harry asked.

"Sorry?" Angela frowned.

"Stolen horn?" Harry replied.

Dean and Angela shared a look. "Right." Dean nodded. "We're—we're working on it."

Dean and Angela turned to leave.

"Well, I hope so," Harry said. "Thing's one-in-a-billion."

Angela and Dean turned back. "What makes it one-in-a-billion again?" Angela raised a brow.

"It's a museum piece," Harry explained. "And near as anyone can tell, about a thousand years old." He added, pulling out a photo.

"Where's it from?" Angela asked.

"No one knows." Harry shrugged.

"When did it get swiped?" Dean asked.

"About…two weeks ago—Same day Jane died." Harry frowned.

~/~\~

Dean had an entry about Gabriel's Horn of truth up on his laptop. Dean drained a glass of whiskey.

"Castiel?" he prayed. "Hello? Possible loose nuke down here, angelic weapon. Kinda your department. You hear that, Cas?"

Castiel appeared. "Hello, Dean. Angela."

"Are you kidding me?" Dean snapped. "We have been on red alert about Sam, and you come for some stupid horn?!"

"You asked me to be here, and I came," Castiel replied.

"Cas…we…we've been asking you to be here for days," Angela said.

Castiel sighed deeply. "I didn't come about Sam because I have nothing to offer about Sam."

Dean scoffed. "Well, that's great, because, for all we know, he's just gift wrap for Lucifer."

"No, he's…he's, not Lucifer," Castiel replied, grabbing the bottle of whiskey.

"And how do you know that?" Angela asked, her brows furrowing.

Castiel refilled Dean's glass and filled a glass for Angela. "If Lucifer escaped the cage, we'd feel it."

Angela swallowed thickly. "What's wrong with him, Cas?"

"I don't know, Angela." Castiel shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"What happened to you, Cas?" Dean asked. "You used to be human, or at least like one."

"I'm at war," Castiel replied. "Certain…regrettable things are now required of me."

"And Gabriel's Horn of Truth?" Dean asked. "That's a real thing?"

"You've seen it?" Castiel asked.

"We think it's in town," Dean replied. "Something's forcing people…"

Suddenly Castiel disappeared.

"Oh, well, you're welcome!" Dean shouted at the air. He took a swig from his glass.

Castiel reappeared behind Dean and Angela. "It isn't the Horn of Truth."

"What are you talking about?" Angela asked. "You were gone for like two seconds. Where did you look?"

"Everywhere," Castiel replied obviously.

"Right." Dean nodded. "Well, nice seeing you, anyway."

"Dean. Angela." Castiel said.

"What?" Dean asked harshly.

"About Sam." He sighed. "I…I don't know what's wrong with him, but I do want to help. I'll make inquiries." He added before disappearing.

"Yeah." Dean sighed. "Thanks."

Dean and Angela each took a sip from their drinks.

~/~\~

Paul's body was being pulled out.

"Now, I'd actually like to see all the suicides that came in this week, not just Dr. Giggles," Sam said. "Is that gonna be a problem?"

"Well, they're—they're already gone." The coroner stammered.

"As in transferred?" Sam raised a brow.

"Yeah, not exactly." The coroner swallowed thickly.

Sam narrowed his eyes. "Would you like to tell me what's going on here, or should I have a little chat with your supervisor?"

"They're _gone._ " The coroner replied, confidentially.

"As in…gone, gone?" Sam asked.

The coroner just nodded.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were sitting at the bar, drinking shots.

"Another one?" the bartender looked at them.

"Uh, no, thanks," Dean replied. "We're working."

The bartender looked at Dean and Angela questioningly as Dean's phone rang.

"Hey, what's up?" Dean asked.

 _"All the bodies are gone,"_ Sam replied over the phone.

Dean looked at Angela confused. "What do you mean, they just vanished?"

 _"That's what the coroner said,"_ Sam replied. _"But I got a lead. One of the missing bodies, she died a whole week before everybody else."_

"Suicide?" Dean asked.

 _"Reported as a car accident, but no reason it couldn't have been,"_ Sam replied.

"So then that would make her our patient zero, right?"

 _"I'm thinking maybe,"_ Sam replied. _"Whatever got this whole curse thing rolling started with her. I'm at her place now, corner of Burnham and 159th."_

"Yeah, give us 10," Dean replied before hanging up. He looked at the bartender. "You know what? I will have that other one."

"Make that two," Angela replied.

"Thought you two were working." The bartender replied.

Dean rubbed his eyes and sighed. "We are working up to it."

"You okay?" she asked.

"No, not really," Dean admitted.

The bartender poured two more shots. "On me. Anything else I can get you two?"

"I'd just like the freakin' truth," Dean said, draining the shot. "But I'll settle for another one."

Sometimes I think I can't get pregnant 'cause God knows my marriage is a sham." The bartender said suddenly. "Why'd I say that? I mean, I've been snorting oxy all day. Why'd I say that?"

Angela drained her shot and turned to look at Dean. "I don't think Sam loves me anymore. And I'm breaking inside, Dean. I have no idea how to handle this, I mean, I'm trying to act fine, I feel broken, Dean. I've lost my other half." she explained. She frowned at the sudden outburst. "What the hell?"

Dean looked at the bartender and Angela. "I'm pretty sure I know what's going on."


	12. You Can't Handle the Truth Part 2

"We've got to go," Dean said. "Thank you. Come on Angie." He said, lightly grabbing her arm.

Dean and Angela started walking towards the door.

"Sam's scaring me, Dean." Angela continued. "And I have a hunch that he's sleeping with other women, but I'm too afraid to ask him."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were walking back to the Impala. Dean called Bobby.

"Hey, anything you're itchin' to tell me?" Dean asked.

 _"Not really,"_ Bobby replied over the phone. _"Sorry to disappoint."_

"Ah, that's alright," Dean replied. "I'm just testing a theory."

 _"Well, I'm here hittin' the books while drinking a nice glass of milk, while watching Tori & Dean,"_ Bobby explained.

"Wh—wait, w-who and Dean?" Dean frowned.

 _"Tori Spelling,"_ Bobby replied. _"I'm a huge fan. Girl's a real talent."_

"Oh, I guess it does work over the phone," Dean muttered.

 _"You know what else?"_ Bobby asked. _"I get a pedicure once in a while—this nice Vietnamese joint."_

"Okay. Okay, please stop." Dean pleaded.

 _"This one gal, Nhung Phuong—her name means 'velvet phoenix'. Tiny thing, but the grip on her."_ Bobby explained. _"She starts on my toes, and I feel like I am gonna—_

"Whoa, whoa!" Dean yelled. "Hey, come on, man—now I'm scarred for life. Thank you."

 _"I never told anyone that. Why am I telling you?"_ Bobby realized. _"Maybe 'cause you're my favorite. Though, I have always liked Angie. Also, Sam's a better hunter…Lately, anyway."_ He added. _"Whoa. Why the hell am I tellin' you this?!"_

"Because I'm cursed," Dean replied. "Angie and anyone around me have been spouting out their secrets."

 _"Cursed?"_ Bobby asked.

"Yes." Dean nodded.

 _"How is it…that half the time you clean a mess, you end up dirty?"_ Bobby asked.

"Actually, this might be the best thing that's happened to me in a while," Dean replied.

 _"What do you mean?"_ Bobby asked. _"Dean…Dean, what damn fool move are you…_ " he trailed off. _"Put Angie on the phone, now."_

"Gotta go, Bobby," Dean replied.

Bobby sighed. _"Okay. But did you know my first girlfriend turned out to be a—_

Dean hung up quickly. "No, no! Mm-mm. Mm-mm."

Dean and Angela got into the Impala.

Dean looked at Angela and frowned. He dialed Sam's number but got his voicemail.

 _"It's Sam. Leave me a message."_ Sam's voicemail said.

"Sam, it's me," Dean said. "Listen, Angie and I are on our way to you, but if you get this before then, give me a call back. There are a few things I need to ask you."

~/~\~

"So, why is there an investigation into a car accident?" the roommate asked, confused.

"It wasn't an accident," Sam replied. "Corey committed suicide."

The roommate started to break down. "You know…I wondered." She sobbed. "I-I'm sorry. I just…"

Sam handed her a box of tissues. "So, you had some idea Corey might have taken her own life?"

"Well, she had been going through a bit of a hard time lately…at school." The girl explained. "And then, um, her cat, Mittens, had just run away. But, really, it was her boyfriend. She was sure that he was cheating on her. But he was just very good at covering his tracks. Which, of course, made her obsessed with—

"Finding out the truth." Sam finished.

"Yeah." The girl nodded.

"You mind if I check out her room?" Sam asked.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela pulled up in the Impala. Dean's phone rang.

"Hey." Dean greeted.

 _"So…I saw you called,"_ Lisa replied over the phone.

"Yeah, it's been crazy." Dean sighed.

 _"Ben won't even talk about it,"_ Lisa replied.

"Lisa, I'm sorry, but this is actually the… _worst_ time in the universe to talk," Dean said. "C-can we do this later?"

 _"You shoved my kid, Dean."_ Lisa snapped. _"How about we do this now?"_

"It wasn't like that." Dean tried.

_"Then how was it?"_

"I can't really explain." Dean sighed.

 _"You want to know the truth?"_ Lisa asked.

Dean closed his eyes. "Probably not."

 _"You've got so much buried in there, and you push it down, and you push it down."_ She replied. _"Do you honestly think that you can go through life like that and not freak out? Just, what, drink half a fifth a night and you're good?"_

"You knew what you signed up for." Dean retorted.

 _"Yeah."_ Lisa agreed. _"But I didn't expect Sam to come back. And I'm glad he's okay. I am. But the minute he walked through that door, I knew. It was over. You two and Angela have the most unhealthy, tangled up, crazy thing I've ever seen."_ She ranted. _"And as long as he's in your life, you're never gonna be happy."_ She added. She paused for a moment. _"That came out so much harsher than I meant."_

Dean swallowed thickly. "It's not your fault."

 _"I'm not saying don't be close to Sam and Angela,"_ Lisa replied. _"I'm close to my sister. But if she got killed, I wouldn't bring her back from the dead!"_

"Okay, Lisa…" Dean sighed. "I'm not gonna lie. Okay, me, Sam, and Angie, we…we've got issues. No doubt. But you and Ben—

 _"Me and Ben can't be in this with you."_ She cut him off. _"I'm sorry."_ She added before hanging up.

~/~\~

Sam was searching in Corey's bedroom. He found a box under the bed. He opened the box and took out a cat's skull.

"Sorry, Mittens," Sam mumbled.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were walking up while Sam walked down the stairs.

"Hey, where have you guys been?" Sam asked. "I found something."

"It can wait," Dean replied. "We got to talk."

"Yeah." Sam shrugged. "What's up?"

Sam, Dean, and Angela walked back downstairs.

"There are a few things I want to ask you, and, uh, you're gonna tell me the truth," Dean said.

"Uh, yeah, Dean." Sam nodded. "Of course. What are you talking about?" he added. "Whoa. Are you saying you're…"

"I asked for the truth. And you know what? I'm getting it." Dean cut him off. "So, like I said, I have a few questions for you. When that vamp attacked me, why did you just stand there? Why did you physically keep Angie from killing the vamp?"

Sam faltered, then turned on the puppy dog eyes. "I-I didn't." he stammered. "I froze…and I-I just wanted to keep Angie safe…"

"Sam, you know that's not true," Angela replied. "Hell, Samuel said you knew—

"You froze," Dean repeated, cutting Angela off. "You have been Terminator since you got back."

"I don't know." Sam shrugged. "Shock? My knee-jerk reaction was to grab Angie's arm. And then it was too late. I feel terrible about it. Believe me." Sam added. "Dean…I can't lie here. Do you guys really think I would let something like that happen on purpose? H-how could you even—

Angela remained unconvinced but kept quiet.

"Okay." Dean sighed. "Okay. Sorry. I…I thought—I thought I saw something. I…I guess I was wrong. It's just been a really, really bad day."

"Hey." Sam put his hand on Dean's shoulder. "It's okay. I got your back and Angie's back, alright? I always have."

"Thanks, Sammy." Dean nodded.

Sam turned. His expression went blank as he walked down the stairs.

~/~\~

Dean, holding Corey's cat skull, walked to join Sam and Angela at the kitchen table.

"So this was the chick's pet?" Dean raised a brow.

Sam was working on his laptop and Angela was looking through a book.

"Well, she was obsessed," Sam replied.

"I think you mean crazy," Angela said.

Sam took the cat skull from Dean. "Alright, so cat skull, uh, grains-of-paradise seed, devil's shoestring." Sam read. "Mix 'em well, you got yourself a summoning spell."

"Demon?" Dean asked.

Sam turned the computer to show Dean and Angela a webpage about Veritas, Goddess of Truth. "God," Sam replied. "Corey was so desperate for the truth about her boyfriend's cheating heart, she went digging around. Nothing panned out, so she went looking for a different kind of help."

"Opened a door she couldn't close," Angela added.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Now anyone in town who asks aloud for the truth invokes Veritas. And she doesn't just give it to you. She slams you with it until you kill yourself and she gets her tribute."

"So, all that 'tribute' vanishing from the morgue," Dean said. "What do you think, uh, Soylent Green situation?"

"Gods got to eat, too." Angela sighed. "Which means we got to take her out or you're on the menu, Dean."

"Alright, well, what do we know besides crazy cat lady?" Dean asked.

"Well, dogs are her Achilles heel." Sam shrugged.

"Naturally," Dean replied.

"And she was a pretty hands-on goddess back in the day," Sam explained. "Her thing was coming down from the mountain to speak truth to the masses. She wanted more than tribute. She wanted to be worshipped."

"An attention whore." Dean clarified.

"If you want to put it that way." Sam shrugged.

Angela's eyes fell on the TV which was playing the news. "And what is the 21st-century version of speaking truth to the masses?"

~/~\~

A large, backlit poster outside of the TV studio doors advertised the show, _'Frank Talk'_ , with Ashley Frank. Sam, Dean, and Angela exited from behind the poster. Sam carried a desktop computer tower.

"So you really think this God is slumming as some farm-league Diane Sawyer?" Sam raised a brow.

Angela shrugged. "Call it a hunch."

Dean paid off a doorman. Sam put the computer in the trunk of the Impala. Sam, Dean, and Angela got in the car.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela sat on the motel beds. Sam sat alone on one and Angela sat next to Dean on the other. The TV studio's computer was running through Sam's laptop. Sam started the recording, which was raw footage of _'Frank Talk'_.

 _"I'm Ashley Frank."_ The woman said before she started coughing. _"I'm Ashley Frank, bringing you 'Frank Talk'."_ She smiled. She sighed. _"Let's do that again."_

 _"Okay, still rolling."_ An off-camera producer replied.

 _"I'm Ashley Frank, bringing you 'Frank Talk'."_ She smiled. _"Again."_ She demanded. _"I'm Ashley Frank. Are organic fruits and veggies really worth the cost?"_

Dean sat back on the bed and drank his coffee. "She's creepy. I mean, the hair alone. I don't know. Maybe there's nothing here."

Sam was increasing the speed of the video. "Maybe."

After a few hours, sunlight started to come through the window. Angela was asleep in Dean's bed. Dean had moved to the table and was eating pizza. Sam was still staring intensely at the video.

The recording kept playing at an increased speed. During the last statement, Ashley Frank stood outside of a house. In the background, a large dog started barking at her.

 _"Are we still rolling?"_ Ashley Frank asked nervously.

"Hold on," Sam said. "Check this out."

Dean came over and sat on the bed next to Angela. He gently nudged her, causing her to wake up slowly. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and sat up.

"Zoom in on that," Dean said.

Sam nodded, zooming in on the video. Magnified, Ashley Frank's eyes had a non-human glow.

~/~\~

Ashley Frank drove away in a red convertible. Sam, Dean, and Angela followed in the Impala. They parked near her large, modern house.

"Looks pretty normal, right?" Sam asked.

"I'm sure inside it's chock full of creep," Dean muttered.

The house's interior lit up as Ashley entered.

Dean held up three large knives. "Ready?"

Sam held up a jar of liquid. "Yeah."

Angela raised a brow. "And that's…?"

"Dog blood." Sam shrugged.

Angela looked at the jar in disgust. "Do we even wanna know where you got that?"

"Probably not," Sam replied.

"Ugh." Dean shuddered as Sam dipped the knives in the dog's blood. "Alright, let's do this," Dean said.

Dean, Sam, and Angela exited the Impala. They walked into the dining room, which looked strangely normal.

"So where's all the creep?" Sam asked, looking around.

Dean, Sam, and Angela followed a cat downstairs. They stopped at a mosaic of Veritas. They followed the cat into another room. The cat jumped onto a gurney and lapped at a bloody, mutilated human corpse.

"You came for dinner." Veritas smiled.

Sam, Dean, and Angela turned to see Ashley Frank, now dressed in a goddess's raiment. She waved her hand, sending the three hunters hurtling into a hanging torso. They fell to the floor of the large basin and lied there, unconscious.

The three hunters were sitting up in the basin. Dean and Angela were unconscious. Sam woke up to find his hands tied behind his back, to a post. He saw Veritas put the dog's blood-soaked knives into a drawer. Dean and Angela woke up, and they were startled by the bloody torso hanging over them.

"Mm. Sit tight." Veritas hummed. She pointed to the mutilated corpse. "You're up next."

Dean and Angela were shocked. Sam covertly slipped out a switchblade from his sleeve.

Veritas opened the dentist's mouth and reached in with pinchers.

Sam opened his knife and communicated a look to Dean and Angela.

Veritas pulled the dentist's tongue out of his mouth. "The tongue…is the tastiest part. It's where the lies roll off." She said before taking a bite.

Dean and Angela closed their eyes, disgusted.

"Mmm. Mmm!" Veritas hummed. "I cannot _wait_ to eat yours. I mean, I've seen liars before, but you three? Gold standard." She put down the tongue and walked away.

Sam worked his knife into the rope.

"Point of professional pride." Dean sassed.

Veritas stood in front of Dean. "I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you, Dean." She warned. "You know what happens when you base your life on lies, right? The truth comes along and…So, while you've still got your tongue, God knows you've got an earful."

Sam's knife cut into the rope.

Veritas sat next to Dean. "I think it's your turn to spill some." She said. "How 'bout we play a little truth or truth? What should we ask Dean first, hmm? Something…personal about you?" she looked at Sam. "Hey, Dean, I'm curious. What do you _really_ feel about your brother?"

Dean hesitated at first. "Better now. As of yesterday, I wanted to kill him in his sleep."

Sam looked surprised.

"I thought he was a monster," Dean admitted.

Veritas nodded. "Very good, Dean." She praised. She walked over to Angela. "Okay, Angela, how do _you_ feel about Sam?"

Angela looked up at Veritas and clenched her jaw slightly. "I feel like I don't know him anymore. Something's different about him and I don't know what. But it scares me—no, _he_ scares me." She swallowed thickly. "But what hurts the most," she paused, looking at Sam. "Is that he doesn't love me anymore. The love of my life doesn't love me anymore."

Veritas smiled victoriously and walked over to Sam. "Alright, Sam." She said. "How do you feel about the band getting back together?"

Sam swallowed thickly. "Look…what we do…is hard." He replied. "But…we watch out for each other. And that's what's important. And that's it. That's the truth."

Veritas looked at Sam, confused. "No." she shook her head. "No, it's not."

"You said yourself—I _can't_ lie," Sam replied.

"How are you doing that?" she snapped. "That's not possible. You're _lying_ to me!"

"No, I'm not!" Sam yelled defensively.

"What are you?" Veritas glared. She looked at Dean and Angela. "What is he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sam scoffed.

"Really?" Veritas looked back at him. "I doubt that. I doubt anything that comes out of your mouth right now. You're not human."

Dean's eyes widened in shock and confusion.

Angela frowned. "What?"

Veritas raised a brow. "You didn't know that?" she asked. "Now, that I believe."

Sam cut through the rope, tossed the knife to Dean, grabbed one of the dog's blood-soaked knives, and rushed at Veritas. Veritas knocked him back with a series of punches. Sam fell back onto the floor, dropping the knife. Veritas began to choke him. Dean cut through his rope, then Angela's. Dean grabbed the hook and impaled Veritas through the back. She turned around. While she was distracted, Sam plunged the dog's blood-soaked knife into her heart. Her body lied half in the basin.

Sam stood up. Dean stepped slightly in front of Angela while brandishing one of the other knives at Sam.

~/~\~

"Guys, it's me," Sam assured as Dean threatened him with the knife.

Angela shook her head. "You aren't Sam." 

"Just listen." Sam pleaded.

"What are you?!" Dean yelled.

"I'm me," Sam assured. "Look, _please,_ just let me explain."

"Why the hell should we believe anything you say?" Angela asked, swallowing thickly.

"Okay, okay. You two want the truth?" Sam asked. "Here it is. Here it is. God's honest. She was right. There's something wrong with me, really wrong. I've known it for a while. I lied to you guys. Yeah." He explained. "And, Dean…I let you get turned by that vamp. I kept Angie from helping you. Because I knew there was a cure, and we needed in that nest! And I knew you could handle it!"

Dean glared at Sam. "Handle it?!" he snapped. "I could've died! I could've killed Ben."

"And that should stop me cold," Sam replied. "But I—I just don't feel it."

Dean paused for a moment. "You what?"

"Ever since I came back, I am a better hunter than I've ever been! Nothing scares me anymore! 'Cause I can't feel it. I don't know what's wrong with me. I think…I need help."

Sam looked solicitous. Dean and Angela were clearly emotional. Dean turned away, then turned back. Sam looked hopeful. Dean hesitated, then punched Sam. Angela wanted to stop him, but she was frozen in shock. Dean punched Sam repeatedly and viciously, only stopping after Sam was unconscious and bloody.

Finally, Angela pulled herself out of her daze and pulled Dean off of Sam and hugged him tightly. Dean hugged Angela back and rested his chin on her head.

"We're gonna fix this, Angie," he whispered. "I swear to God."


	13. Family Matters Part 1

Sam was tied to a chair in the motel room.

"You're right." Castiel sighed. "He looks terrible." He added before he looked at Dean. "You did this?"

"Cas?" Sam mumbled. "What's…" He realized he was tied up. "Let me go."

"Has he been feverish?" Castiel asked.

Angela looked at Sam, concerned. "Have you?"

"No." Sam shook his head. "Why?"

"Is he speaking in tongues?" Castiel asked Dean and Angela. He looked at Sam. "Are you speaking in tongues?"

"No," Sam replied. "What are you…Are you _diagnosing_ me?"

"You better hope he can," Dean replied harshly.

"You really think that this is—

"What, you think that there's a clinic out there for people who just pop out of hell wrong?" Dean interrupted. "He asks, you answer! Then you shut your hole." He instructed. "You got it?"

"How much do you sleep?" Castiel asked Sam.

Sam sighed heavily. "I don't."

"At all?" Angela asked, her brows furrowing together.

"Not since I got back." Sam shrugged.

"And it never occurred to you that there might be something…off about that?" Angela sighed.

"Of course it did, Angie," Sam assured. "I-I just never told you and Dean."

"What?" Dean glared.

"Sam…" Castiel trailed off. "What are you feeling now?"

Sam scoffed. "I feel like my nose is broken."

"No, that's a physical sensation," Castiel replied. "How do you _feel?"_

"Well, I think—

Castiel sighed impatiently. " _Feel._ " He cut Sam off. "For example, how do you feel towards Angela? She's supposed to be your significant other, so explain how you feel about her."

Sam paused for a moment. "I should love her." Sam started, looking up at Angela. "But…I don't. I don't feel anything towards her. I mean, I've been sleeping with plenty of other women and I just don't care." He shrugged.

Dean and Castiel looked towards Angela, who was completely still and oddly calm. She was…she couldn't even explain what she was feeling right now. She just stared at Sam, dumbfounded.

"I—I…" she stammered. She looked at the floor and swallowed thickly. "I…have no words…" she murmured.

Dean moved towards her. "Kiddo—

"Don't…don't come near me right now." She cut him off, backing away slightly. She looked at Castiel. "What the hell is wrong with him?" She pointed at Sam.

Castiel sighed and looked at Sam. "This will be unpleasant."

"What—

"Bite down on this," Castiel instructed, handing Sam a belt. "If there's someplace that you find soothing, you should go there. In your mind." He added before plunging his hand into Sam's body.

Sam screamed and gasped in pain. This went on for a few more moments before Castiel pulled his hand out.

"Did you find anything?" Dean asked.

"No." Castiel shook his head.

Dean raised a brow. "So that's good news?"

"I'm afraid not," Castiel replied. "Physically, he's perfectly healthy."

"Then what?" Angela asked, confused.

"It's his soul." Castiel looked at her. "It's gone."

Angela pursed her lips and ran her hands through her hair. "Cas, o-okay, I-I'm not understanding."

Dean nodded in agreement. "One more time, like we're five," Dean said. "What do you mean, he's got no—

"Somehow, when Sam was resurrected, it was _without_ his soul," Castiel explained.

"So, where is it?" Dean asked.

"My guess is…still in the cage with Michael, Lucifer, and Sophia," Castiel answered.

"Is he even still Sam?" Angela asked.

Castiel sighed. "Well, you pose an interesting philosophical question."

Angela ran a hand over her face. "W-well, just get it back, Cas."

"Angela…" Castiel sighed.

"You pulled Dean out!" Angela argued.

"It took several angels to rescue Dean, and he wasn't nearly as well guarded," Castiel explained. "Sam's soul is in Lucifer's cage. There's a difference, a big difference. It's not possible."

"Okay, well, there's got to be a way." Dean cut in.

"So, are you gonna untie me?" Sam sighed.

"No," Dean replied.

"Listen, I'm not gonna—

"Sam, how the hell are we seven supposed to let you out of this room?" Dean cut him off.

"Dean, I'm not some psycho," Sam assured. "I didn't want you to get hurt. I was just trying to stop the vamps." He added. He sighed. "I'm sorry. It won't ever happen again. Please let me go."

"You're kidding, right?" Dean scoffed.

"Well, what are you guys gonna do, just keep me locked up in here forever?" Sam asked.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Angela muttered.

"Okay, fine, look, I get it," Sam replied. "I was wrong to let Dean get turned. Angie, I was wrong to sleep with all those women. But I'm telling you guys I-I'm trying to get right. It's still me."

Angela shook her head. "No, it's not." She replied. "Sam, he…he's caring and kind. He has compassion. You…you're a _shell_ of the man I love." Her voice cracked.

Sam sighed. "I promise it's me, Angie. So just let me go."

"No way in hell." Dean glared.

Sam sighed deeply. "I didn't want it to come to this." He warned. "You guys aren't gonna hold me. Not here, not in a panic room, not anywhere. You're stuck with the soulless guy, so you might as well work with me." He explained. "Let's fix this."

"I'm gonna be watching every move you make," Dean warned.

"Fine." Sam conceded. "Sounds about right to me."

Dean nodded. "Cas, clean him up."

Sam groaned as Castiel healed his injuries.

"Alright, if we're gonna figure out what happened to your soul, then we need to find who yanked you out," Dean said.

"You say you don't know?" Angela asked.

"No idea." Sam shrugged.

"Then we start a list," Dean replied. "If it's so hard to spring someone out of the box, then who's got that kind of muscle?"

"I don't know." Castiel frowned. "You have no memory of your resurrection?" He looked at Sam.

"I woke up in a field." Sam shrugged. "That's all I got."

"No clues?" Dean asked. "None?"

"I've got one," Sam replied.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were still inside the motel room packing up supplies. Angela stood outside, waiting for them.

"Angela," Castiel said suddenly.

She looked up at him and smiled a weak smile. "Hey, Cas." She replied. "What's up?"

"I know what Sam said must have been…difficult to hear." He commented.

Angela scoffed slightly. "That's an understatement." She replied. "You know, I thought the worst thing I went through was seeing my boyfriend possessed by the devil himself." She explained. "But this…this is worse."

Castiel paused for a moment, unsure of how to comfort her. "I understand that you are hurting…"

She shrugged. "The worst part is, I may never get my Sam back." She replied. "And that's gonna hurt more than anything." She added. "Love is a tricky, tricky thing, Cas." She sighed.

Castiel nodded. "I wouldn't really know. I don't exactly have…experience in that area…"

Angela smiled slightly and leaned against the Impala. "Sometimes it's beyond great, and sometimes it hurts more than anything." She replied. "Before the Apocalypse, sometimes Sam and I would take the Impala to a nearby field, and just look at the stars. And at that moment…we felt semi-normal." She murmured. She swallowed thickly. "I might never have that again with him."

Castiel looked at Angela. "I promise, I will do everything in my power to get Sam's soul back." He replied sincerely.

"Thanks, Cas. I appreciate it." She smiled.

Finally, Sam and Dean emerged from the motel room with their bags. They all piled into the Impala.

~/~\~

"Gramps throw a barbecue, leave us off the e-vite list?" Dean asked.

"Sam!" Christian laughed. "Ahh. Dean, Angela." He added with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Hello, Newman." Dean sassed. "Where's the man?"

Samuel cleared his throat. "Come right on in."

"We need to ask you a few questions," Angela said.

"What's wrong?" Samuel frowned.

"The day you got back, what happened?" Dean asked.

"We've been over this." Samuel sighed.

"Well, recap it for our wingman," Dean said as Castiel appeared.

Samuel raised a brow. "This Castiel?" he asked. "You're scrawnier than I pictured."

"This is a vessel," Castiel replied. "My true form is approximately the size of your Chrysler building."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright, quit bragging." He said. "So, you were dead, and…"

"And, pow, I was on Elton ridge," Samuel replied. "Don't know how. Don't know why. I got nothing to hide, guys."

"Well, do you mind if Cas here double checks?" Angela asked.

Castiel stuck his arm into Samuel's body and Samuel started screaming.

Christian opened the door, confused.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Sam stopped Christian. "It's okay. It's okay. It's okay."

"What the hell?" Christian asked.

"Angel cavity search," Dean replied.

"I'm fine, Christian," Samuel assured. "Just give us a minute."

"But—

"Just give us a minute," Samuel repeated sternly. The door closed and Samuel was breathing heavily. "What the hell was that about?" Samuel glared.

"His soul is intact," Castiel commented.

"What?" Samuel asked, taken aback. "Of course I have a—What's going on, Sam?"

"Whatever dragged me out…left a piece behind." Sam sighed.

Samuel closed his eyes and groaned.

"Did you know?" Sam frowned.

"No, but I…I knew it was something," Samuel admitted. "I…You're a hell of a hunter, Sam, but…the truth is, sometimes you scare me. So, what's the deal here? How do we fix this? How do we get his soul back?"

"We don't know yet, but we have to," Angela replied.

"Well, I'm here to help, of course," Samuel assured. "What leads are you working?"

"A bunch of dead ends and you," Sam replied.

"Well, then, we'll just have to dig," Samuel said.

"Sam, Dean, Angela…I have to get back." Castiel cut in.

"You're leaving?" Angela frowned.

"I'm in the middle of a civil war." Castiel sighed.

"You better tear the attic up, find something to help Sam," Dean demanded.

"Of course," Castiel replied. "Your problems always come first. I'll be in touch." He added before disappearing.

"Would've asked him to stick around for a beer," Samuel commented.

"So, what's with the book club outside?" Dean asked.

"Putting together a hunt," Samuel replied.

"That's a lot of guys for one hunt," Angela said.

Realization dawned on Sam. "You found him, didn't you?"

"Who?" Angela looked at Sam.

"He's got a lead on the alpha vamp." Sam narrowed his eyes.

"Do you?" Dean asked.

"Maybe. Yeah." Samuel shrugged.

"How'd you track him down?" Angela asked curiously.

"We're good," Samuel said.

Dean narrowed his eyes. "That's all Angie and I get?" Dean scoffed. "We're good?"

"When's the run?" Sam asked, ignoring Dean.

"Dawn," Samuel answered.

Sam frowned. "You didn't call me? Why?"

"Because of me and Angie," Dean replied. "You don't trust us very much, do you? Especially when it comes to big game like this."

"That's not true," Samuel assured.

"Okay, well, then, we're in." Angela shrugged.

"No offense, but—

"So you don't trust us." Angela cut him off.

Samuel sighed. "No, I just don't know you two. Not like I know Sam."

"Alright." Dean nodded. "You call the plays. One-hundred percent. We're here to listen."

Samuel chuckled. "Since when?"

"Big daddy bloodsucker?" Dean raised a brow. "We aren't gonna miss that. But this is your deal. Okay? We get it. We'll follow your lead. We trust you. Right, Angie?"

Angela nodded. "One-hundred percent." She smiled.

~/~\~

"Angie and I don't trust him," Dean said. "Dude's hiding something."

"What?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"We can feel it," Dean replied. "And if you weren't Robo-Sam, you'd feel it, too."

"Huh," Sam muttered.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Just…you." Sam shrugged. "Saying you don't trust family."

"Look, we hang close, we blend in, we see what we can pick up." Angela cut in.

"You think Samuel's connected to this whole soul thing?" Sam asked.

"He's the only lead we got," Angela replied.

~/~\~

"You lost, Dean?" Christian raised a brow as Dean came out of Samuel's office.

"Had to make a phone call." Dean lied. "Just needed some privacy."

"Oh." Christian nodded. "Samuel's locked office is pretty private."

"Wasn't locked." Dean shrugged.

"Who you calling?" Christian asked.

"Your wife." Dean sassed. "Let her know I'm not gonna make it over tonight."

"You know, I've tried playing nice, Dean, but I think I'm done," Christian replied.

"Wait, are you trying to tell me that you're a bigger knob than you've been letting on?" Dean asked, pretending to be shocked.

"I'm the guy who's been here, doing my job," Christian said. "Who are you? You think we need you and Angela here? You walk like you're playing pro tennis. The only action you seen lately is between your slut girlfriend's legs."

"Shut. Up." Dean growled.

Christian grunted as Dean shoved him against the wall. "You sure you want to come with us tomorrow?" Christian raised a brow. "Accidents happen."

"Hmm." Dean hummed. "Don't worry, man. I got your back."

~/~\~

"The house is just over the hill," Samuel explained. "About a dozen vamps and the alpha. We got one shot at this son of a bitch." He added. "Christian, take flank. The rest of you are with me and Sam. Dean, Angela, Gwen…hang back, sweep out any stragglers we flush out. Problem, Dean?"

"No, sir," Dean assured.

"I'm in the rear with the rejects?" Gwen complained.

"Alright, let's go," Samuel commanded.

"Don't worry. It's fine." Sam assured, looking at both Dean and Angela.

"No, nothing's fine," Angela replied. "You're not fine. Go. Go."

The group left leaving Gwen, Dean, and Angela behind.

"Sorry about the reject thing," Gwen said.

"Ah, we've been called worse." Dean shrugged.

"Just, uh, get sick of getting left behind," Gwen admitted. "Think it's probably 'cause I remind him of his daughter or something."

"Well, you just speak your mind," Angela replied.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Gwen smiled.

"You should," Angela assured.

Suddenly branched could be heard snapping. Gwen cut off a roaming vampire's head with her machete.

"You're welcome," Gwen said.

Dean grunted. Gunshots could be heard, and Dean and Angela ran off.

"We're supposed to wait here!" Gwen called after them.

There were gunshots and people screaming.

Dean and Angela hid behind bushes as they watched the group drag a man with a bag draped over his head.

"Sam!" Samuel yelled. "Careful, now!"

"Yeah. Got him." Sam assured.

"Get in," Samuel said as he closed the doors.

Dean and Angela made their way back to Gwen.

"Where were you two?" she hissed.

"Everything alright here?" Samuel asked suddenly.

"Just, uh, chopped up a runner." Gwen lied. "No big deal. How'd it go?"

"Rough, but one alpha down," Samuel replied.

"Where is it?" Dean asked. "Want to pay my last respects."

"Well, bring marshmallows," Samuel said. "Already on the pyre."


	14. Family Matters Part 2

The three hunters were in the Impala.

"Things go okay back there?" Dean asked.

"Fine." Sam shrugged.

"Nothing weird?" Angela pressed.

Sam just shook his head. Dean suddenly stopped the Impala and shut the engine off.

"Angie and I saw you walk that alpha out the door, Sam," Dean replied. "Now, call us crazy…But that seems weird."

Sam sighed. "Oh."

"Oh." Angela scoffed.

"You guys weren't supposed to know about that," Sam admitted.

"Know what?" Dean asked.

"It's just something Samuel's been doing," Sam explained. "Catching things, taking them somewhere, grilling them for info."

"Grill. Torture, right?" Dean asked. "And not telling Angie and I—that was his idea?"

"No, it was mine." Sam shrugged.

"Why?" Dean asked, confused.

"Honestly?" Sam replied. "Because you'd mess it up. You shoot first, ask questions later, and we needed to ask questions. And if we had told Angie, she would have told you."

"You're damn right I would've told Dean!" Angela snapped. "You know what, I don't care if you've got soullessness or the freakin' mumps! Sam, you know better than this!" she added angrily. She paused for a moment. "Do you even _want_ your soul back?"

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "How does that have anything to do—

"Have you been to the place where Samuel takes them?" Angela pressed. "I mean, have you been in on these interrogations?"

"No, but I hear—

"And why?" Dean interrupted. "And did it ever occur to you that this is _really_ shady?"

"Dean, he's our grandfather." Sam sighed.

"Yeah." Dean scoffed. "Yeah, a guy who talks a great game. But you can't assume that family means the same thing to him as it does to us." He added. "Wow. You don't see it, do you?"

"What?" Sam asked.

"You've got no instinct," Dean replied. He scoffed slightly. "I mean, you are _seriously_ messed up."

"Thanks," Sam replied sarcastically.

"I'm not kidding, man. Nobody's forcing you to work with Angie and I, okay?" Dean replied. "But if we do this…Angie and I drive the bus and call the shots. You tell us everything, whether you think it's important or not, because—trust me—you can't tell the difference. Or, you know what, go—go with Samuel. See how that goes. It's up to you."

~/~\~

Sam stood in the doorway of Samuel's office.

"Samuel?" Sam asked.

Samuel flinched slightly and looked up at Sam. "Damn, kid. Learn how to knock." He replied. "Where's your brother and Angela?"

"Gone," Sam replied vaguely.

Samuel's brows furrowed. "What do you mean, 'gone'?"

"I mean they left about an hour ago," Sam explained. "We just weren't seeing eye-to-eye anymore, I guess."

"That's too bad," Samuel replied.

Sam squared his shoulders slightly. "I want in."

"In?" Samuel raised a brow.

"On the interrogations, on everything." Sam clarified. "I can help. This family—this is it for me now. Whatever you need, I'll do."

"Yeah, I know you will." Samuel nodded.

"Great." Sam nodded.

"But until we can figure out this soul business of yours, I need you to keep doing what you're doing," Samuel replied.

Sam frowned. "But I can—

"No, you can't." Samuel cut him off. He sighed deeply. "I'm sorry."

"Right." Sam sighed before he left the room, closing the door behind him.

~/~\~

Sam got back into the passenger's seat of the Impala.

"Hey." Angela greeted.

Sam looked at Dean and Angela. "You guys didn't think I'd come back."

"I figured 60/40." Dean shrugged.

"I figured there was a 50/50 chance," Angela admitted. "Can't tell with you these days."

"So, Samuel didn't take the bait," Sam explained. "So I went with plan B."

Dean frowned, confused. "We had a plan B?"

"Fired up the GPS on one of his cellphones," Sam replied. "We should be able to track him right to the alpha."

"The old man won't notice?" Angela raised a brow.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Trust me." He scoffed. "He thinks Velcro is big news." He added before his phone started beeping. "There. Got him."

~/~\~

Sam raised a brow when he noticed something on the walls of the warehouse. "Dead man's blood?"

"Smart," Angela admitted.

"Lock the place down with vamp repellent." Dean nodded.

~/~\~

The alpha vampire was tied to a chair in a large cage. He tilted his head slightly. "Are you three going to hide all night? Come on out."

Dean, Sam, and Angela emerged from where they were hiding.

"How can I help you?" the alpha vampire asked.

"We have some questions for you since you're going nowhere fast," Angela replied.

The alpha vampire chuckled. "Don't be so sure."

"Yeah?" Dean asked. "Locked down pretty tight. And with all that dead blood rushing through your veins, not sure you got enough juice to fire up that psychic bat-signal of yours, do you?"

"True." The vampire nodded. "Not near enough juice for that…Dean."

Dean raised a brow. "I didn't realize we were on a first-name basis."

"Of course we are." The vampire replied. "After all, you were my child…for a time. Dean, tell me…did you enjoy it?"

Dean glared at the vampire, clenching his jaw. "I'm asking the questions here, fright night."

The electricity in the room crackled ominously.

"When your kind first huddled around the fire, I was the thing in the dark!" the vampire snarled. "Now you think you can hurt me? I have all night. Anyway, I'm happy to tell you whatever you want to know?"

"Why?" Angela asked suspiciously.

"Why?" the vampire smirked. "Because soon, I'll be ankle-deep in your blood, sucking the marrow from your bones."

"So you're really it," Sam said, fascinated. "The first of your species."

"The very first." The vampire nodded.

"But if you're the first…who made you?" Angela asked.

"We all have our mothers." The vampire replied vaguely. "Even me."

"What does that mean?" Dean asked, only earning a chuckle from the vampire. "And what's with the big surge of vamps lately? I mean, it's like—

"Like we're going to war." The vampire interrupted.

"Why?" Sam asked. "What's going on? Why did Samuel bring you here?"

The alpha vampire sniffed. "You smell cold." He noted. "You have no soul. What an oddity. Do you feel how empty you are? What is it like to have no soul? Answer my question."

"You first," Sam replied. "You're the one in the cage."

The alpha vampire sighed. "The thing about souls—if you've got one, of course—is they're predictable. You die, you go up or down. Where do my kind go?"

"Alright, enough with the sermon, freak." Dean scoffed.

"I'm trying to answer the question." The vampire defended. "Now, when we 'freaks' die…where do we go? Not heaven, not hell. So?"

"Legoland?" Dean sassed.

The alpha vampire sighed deeply. "Little rusty on our Dante, are we?"

Realization dawned on Sam. "Purgatory."

"Purgatory?" Angela asked, stunned. "Purgatory's real?"

"Oh, stupid cattle." The vampire chuckled. "Of course! And it's filled with the soul of every hungry thing like me that ever walked this earth. Now, where is it? That is the mystery. And that is what Samuel is trying to beat out of me."

"Samuel brought you here…to find out where Purgatory is?" Sam raised a brow.

"I keep telling him—how would I know such a thing?" the vampire shrugged. "But he refuses to untie me."

"You know exactly where it is," Sam replied. "Why does Samuel care about any of this?"

"He doesn't care. He does as he is told." The vampire clarified.

"Well, if the old man's Kermit…whose hand's up his ass?" Dean asked.

Suddenly they heard a gun being cocked. "Evening, guys," Samuel said.

Dean turned to face him and scoffed. "Wow, you know, I have seen some stupid in my time, but you take the crown," Dean replied. "Putting Jaws in a fishbowl? How do you think that's gonna end? I don't know what kind of game you're running—

"What, do you think I'm doing this for kicks?" Samuel interrupted.

"I think you've got the rest of the feebs convinced that you're John Wayne," Dean replied. "So whatever you're doing, whatever you're hiding…it's gonna put you and everyone around you in the ground."

"Hi." Gwen greeted as she cocked her gun.

"Gwen." Dean sighed. "And I thought we had something special."

"Are you scared of me?" the alpha vampire asked. "I would be." He chuckled. "Go ahead." He said as he escaped the cage.

Electricity crackled and a man screamed.

"Grab your stuff," Samuel commanded before they ran off.

"How long till the alpha's one-hundred percent?" Angela asked.

"Hour. Maybe less." Samuel replied. "We need to get him dosed up and back in the cage."

"No." Dean shook his head.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Samuel asked.

"I mean, we don't know what your big plan was, but playing catch is not on the table," Dean replied.

"Dean—

"He's right, Samuel," Angela replied. "We take the thing's head off, or it kills us all! You know that." She explained. "Okay. We split up. Clear every single room. You get a shot, you take it." She instructed.

"It's not going to kill him, but he'll move a lot slower without any kneecaps. And if we make it through this, we're having one hell of a family meeting." Dean agreed.

"You think he ran out?" Christian asked.

"No!" Samuel yelled as the alpha vampire came up behind Christian.

The alpha vampire snapped Christian's neck and snarled. "The boy with no soul. I've got big plans for you. It's amazing how that pesky, little soul gets in the way. But not for you. You will be the perfect… _animal._ "

While the alpha vampire was distracted, Christian came up behind him and injected him with dead man's blood. Samuel looked at Christian, confused.

"Christian?" Samuel asked.

Christian just smirked and his eyes went black before he and a few other demons took the alpha vampire away.

Crowley came into the room, slow clapping. "Well, that was dramatic."

"Crowley?" Sam glared.

"Hello, boys. Angela." Crowley greeted. "What an unexpected treat."

"Bring Christian back now," Samuel demanded.

"I'm sorry?" Crowley raised a brow.

"My nephew!" Samuel snapped. "The one you just crammed a demon into!"

"Oh." Crowley nodded. "No. I had him possessed ages ago. Samuel, really. I keep an eye on my investments."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Angela asked, raising a brow.

"Not in the biblical sense," Crowley replied. "More of a business relationship, I'd say."

Sam looked at Samuel and scoffed. "You're Crowley's bitch."

"It's not what you think." Samuel tried.

"It's precisely what you think," Crowley said. "That alpha he's caught is me getting him a gold star."

"Since when do you give a crap about vampires?" Dean asked.

"Since, uh…" Crowley trailed off, thinking. "What's today—Friday? Since...let's see—mind your business."

"You may as well share with the class," Sam said. "We know you're looking for Purgatory."

Crowley sighed. "So you heard about that?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "You want to tell us why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Crowley shrugged. "Location, location, location. I'm a developer. Purgatory is vast, underutilized, and Hell-adjacent, and I want it."

"What for?" Angela asked.

"Ah, ah, ah Angela." Crowley shook his head. "Employees don't question management."

Dean scoffed. "We ain't your employees."

"Of course you are!" Crowley replied. "Have been for some time now, thanks to gramps. I don't keep Captain Chromedome around for his wit, do I? Samuel knows things. More than any of you, actually. Walking encyclopedia of the creepy and crawly. And I knew…You three are so hung up on family-loyalty nonsense, he said jump, you'd get froggy."

"Yeah, well, the game's over." Dean snarled.

"Yeah, well, afraid not, not if you want to see Sam's soul ever again." Crowley threatened.

"You're bluffing," Sam replied.

"Tell them, Samuel," Crowley commanded.

Samuel sighed. "He pulled us both back, me and Sam."

"What?" Sam glared at Samuel. "You knew?"

"No, Cas says it takes big-time mojo to pull something like that off, and you're nothing but a punk-ass crossroads demon," Dean replied.

"Was a punk-ass crossroads demon." Crowley clarified. "Now? King of hell. Believe me, I've got the mojo. I snap my fingers, Sam gets his soul back. Or you can be…you, and I shove Sam right back in the hole." He threatened. "Can't imagine what it's like in there…and I can imagine so many things. So, we clear? Me, Charlie…you, angels. Job's simple enough—bring me creatures. Aim high on the food chain, please. Everybody wins. It's been a pleasure. See you soon."

Gwen glared at Samuel. "You're letting a demon call the shots?"

"Nothing's changed," Samuel assured. "We hunt. Period. Don't worry about him. I'll take care of it. You trust me or not? Get in the van, Gwen."

"Working with a demon, huh?" Sam scoffed. "You're not who I thought you were."

"You don't know anything about me, son," Samuel replied.

"So, what's so important that you're the king of Hell's cabana boy, huh?" Dean asked. "What'd he offer you? Girls? Money? Hair?"

"I got my reasons," Samuel replied. "You gonna make a move, go ahead."

"Or what?" Angela asked.

"Or nothing," Samuel replied. "I'm not gonna do anything to you, Angela. You're family to Sam and Dean, and they're my family. That makes you family too, Angela." He assured. He looked at Sam and Dean. "So the way I see it, you got two choices—put a bullet in your grandfather's head or step aside."

Sam cocked his gun and glared at Samuel.

Angela stepped in front of Sam and shook her head. "Don't do it, Sam."

Sam looked down at Angela, slightly confused. "He sold us out."

"I know." Angela nodded. "Let it go, Sammy."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Get out of here," Dean told Samuel.

"So, what now?" Sam sighed, putting his gun away.

"We can't work for Crowley." Dean sighed.

"Are you sure about that?" Sam asked.

"I don't think you understand. Demons bone you every time." Dean replied.

"Oh, no, I get it. I do, believe me." Sam shrugged. "Just running the math—do we really have another choice?"

"We could stab him in his throat," Angela muttered.

"And get my soul back how?" Sam countered. "I'm just saying, seems like we got to play ball, at least for the moment."

Dean shook his head. "I have done some stupid things in my time, but punching a demon's clock?"

"Look, just till we find another way," Sam assured.

"And then?" Angela asked.

"And then we track Crowley down and give that son of a bitch what's coming to him," Sam replied. "You guys with me?"

Angela looked at Dean and sighed. She looked back at Sam. "Yeah…I'm with you."

Dean nodded. "Guess I am too."


	15. All Dogs Go to Heaven Part 1

Sam and Angela were eating at an outdoor table. Dean was standing nearby, talking on his cellphone, and holding a plate of ribs.

"I know, Bobby, but there's got to be another way." Dean sighed. "I don't know. Keep digging. I mean, if Crowley thinks we're just gonna—

Crowley suddenly appeared behind Dean. "Crowley thinks you're just gonna what, Dean?" he raised a brow. "Is that Bobby Singer? Give him a kiss for me."

Dean rolled his eyes. "I'll call you back." He told Bobby before he hung up.

"Good news!" Crowley exclaimed. "I've got a job for you." He said as he pulled out the chair next to Sam. He turned it around and sat on it backward. Dean sat next to Angela and Sam.

"I'm gonna say this once," Dean replied. "You can take your job and shove it up your ass."

Crowley scoffed. "Is that any way to talk to your boss?"

"You're not our boss, dickbag." Dean snarled.

"Dean, Dean. Been through this." Crowley reprimanded. "Quit clutching your pearls. You and Angela have been working for me for some time now. Sam here, longer."

"We didn't know." Sam glared.

Crowley rolled his eyes. "Like that makes a difference to you." He replied. "You'd sell your brother and Angela for a dollar right now if you really needed a soda."

Dean looked pained and Angela looked at her shoes, not wanting to show the hurt on her face.

"Look, I'm sending you—

"No." Angela looked up, cutting Crowley off.

"Beg pardon?" Crowley asked.

"We've done some shady stuff in my time, but we are _not_ doing this," Angela said. "No."

"Ten quid says you will, sweetheart." Crowley challenged. He touched the back of Sam's hand. Sam yelled and his hand sizzled. A burning sensation spread on Sam's hand and Sam gasped in pain.

Angela clenched her jaw. "Crowley—

"You like _pain_ , Sam? You like hell?" he asked before turning to Angela and Dean. "You need to stop thinking of this as some kind of deal. This is a hostage situation. I own Sam! Do you understand me?" he asked. He snapped his fingers and the burn on Sam's hand disappeared. "Come on, Angela, smile. It's not that bad. Here's incentive—you bag me a live alpha, and I'll give you little Sammy's soul back, with a cherry on top."

"What, alpha vamp not good enough for you?" Sam asked.

"Best mind where you poke your nose if you want to keep it," Crowley warned. "Your merry little hike up the food chain starts here." He added as he put a newspaper down on the table. "Businessman found dead in his car—chest ripped out, heart missing." Crowley continued. "Sounds like?"

Sam picked up the newspaper. The headline read _'Businessman Falls Victim to Animal Attack'_. "Werewolf." He said.

"No, it's not a full moon." Dean shook his head.

"Werewolves turning on the full moon—so '09," Crowley replied.

"He's right." Sam nodded. "Samuel and I ganked one about six months back on the half-moon. Things have been out of whack for a while now, I guess."

"Yeah, I guess," Dean muttered.

"So, it's settled then," Crowley said. "You bag the howler, bring it home to papa. See you soon." He added before disappearing.

~/~\~

Dean was driving down a dark road.

"So, the vic's a real class act," Sam said. "Owned a bunch of slum-grade apartments. Couple houses, too."

"So this is it? This is—this is what you're gonna do?" Dean asked.

"What am I doing?" Sam frowned.

"Crowley," Dean replied obviously. "He's so far up our asses we're—we're—we're coughing sulfur, but you—you're just gonna work the case?"

Sam shrugged. "Well, he's got us by the short and curlies. What else are we supposed to do?"

"It's just…we're working for a demon now," Angela replied. "And I mean, we don't even know who you are. We just need some time to adjust, Sam."

"Look…this is a crap situation. I get it." Sam replied. "But, Angie, I'm still me—same melon, same memories. I—I like the same music. I still find you attractive, Angie."

"But you don't love me." She replied. "And the Sam I know and love…he loves me back." She added. "You've said it yourself, you've been sleeping with other women, and Sam…he wouldn't do that to me. Not after what happened with Ruby."

Sam sighed deeply. "Angie, I know you're hurting, and I wish I could genuinely comfort you in some way…" he replied. "And I know you and Dean don't trust me. But I'm going to prove it to you guys. I'm still Sam."

~/~\~

Someone zipped up a body bag. Dean, Sam, and Angela were in their FBI outfits. They walked past a coroner's vehicle toward a detective who was standing next to the body and two men who were ready to move it. The two men lifted the body and carried it away. Dean, Sam, and Angela flashed their IDs.

"How you doing?" Dean asked. "Agents Holt, Wilson, and Jackson."

"Feds?" the detective raised a brow.

"Yes, sir." Angela nodded.

"What are the Feds doing here?" the detective asked, confused.

"Oh, we're specialists," Sam replied. "They call us in to answer the questions of mouth-breathing dick monkeys."

Dean, Angela, and the detective looked at Sam. Angela cleared her throat and looked at the detective.

"I'm sorry about him." Angela apologized. "Would you mind walking us through this?"

The detective turned his attention towards Angela. "Dockworker. Guy on the morning shift found him—chest ripped wide open."

"Sam as the body in the car?" Dean asked.

The detective nodded. "Yeah. The second one in two days."

"Internal organs missing on both vics?" Sam asked. "Like their hearts?"

"Uh…looks like it, yeah." The detective replied, looking at his file. "How'd you know?"

"So, this guy, he—he have any enemies?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, plenty, but, uh, I don't think it was a wolf or possibly a cougar that had a beef with the guy." The detective replied. "You do realize these were animal attacks?"

"An animal out here." Dean scoffed. "What, you think it came for the sailing?"

~/~\~

Dean was asleep face down on one of the motel beds. On the other bed, Angela was sleeping on her side, her hair falling over her face slightly. Dean woke up and turned over. He looked at Sam who was dressed in a shirt and suit pants and was organizing papers at the table.

"Morning," Sam said.

"You didn't sleep," Dean said as he got up and moved toward Angela's bed. "Because you _don't_ …sleep."

"Right." Sam nodded.

"Yeah. That's not creepy at all." Dean muttered, causing Sam to roll his eyes. Dean gently shook Angela. "Kid, wake up."

Angela groaned slightly. "Just a few more minutes…" she mumbled sleepily.

Dean sighed. "Angie, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way."

Angela opened one of her eyes to look at Dean. "You wouldn't dare."

"Do you wanna test that theory?" Dean asked. "Come on, Sam found something."

Angela groaned and sat up, running her hands through her hair. "What'd you find, Sam?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Alright. So, we know that werewolves are basically id gone wild, right?" Sam asked as Dean sat on the edge of his bed. "I mean, whoever they hate, they kill when they wolf out. So, I've been playing connect the victims."

"And?" Dean asked.

Sam put his paperwork into a briefcase. "And I think I found a common denominator. So come on." He tossed Dean and Angela their IDs. "Get the lead out, huh?"

"At least let us get dressed first, Robocop." Dean rolled his eyes.

~/~\~

The Impala pulled up and parked outside of a house. Sam got out carrying a gun, which he put into the back of his pants. Sam, Dean, and Angela walked to the house and knocked. A woman carrying a young boy answered.

"Yes, can I help you?" the woman asked.

Sam, Dean, and Angela showed their IDs.

"Is Cal Garrigan home?" Sam asked. "We've got a few questions we'd like to ask him."

The woman smiled. "Yeah. Um, come in."

~/~\~

The woman set the boy down in the kitchen and handed him a toy. A German Shepherd was lying on a dog bed.

"Honey, um, why don't you go play in your room for a little while, okay?" the woman asked the young boy as she cleared toys from the kitchen table. "Excuse the mess. Please sit."

The three hunters sat at the table.

"Um…can I get you three anything?" the woman asked.

"No, thank you." Angela smiled. "So, is Cal your boyfriend?"

"That's right." The woman nodded.

"And where is he?" Dean asked.

"Uh, sleeping, I think." The woman shrugged.

"You mind telling him up and at 'em?" Dean asked. "He's got some guests."

"Yeah. Yeah, of course." The woman replied as she started to leave the room. She stopped as Cal cleared his throat and entered, with a hand to his head. "Cal…" she trailed off.

The German Shepherd growled and started barking.

"Lucky, shh!" Cal hushed, earning a growl from the dog.

"These are Agents…" the woman trailed off.

"Holt, Wilson, and Jackson," Dean replied. "Morning…ish." He looked at Cal.

"Hey." Cal greeted. "What's this?"

"Were you out late last night, Cal?" Angela asked.

Cal poured himself some coffee and shrugged. "Just, uh, you know, a couple beers with friends."

"How many's a couple?" Angela pressed.

"I don't know," Cal replied. "Three, four tops."

"If all you had was beer, then how come you're sweating vodka?" Sam asked. "And looks to me like you slept in those clothes. Am I right?"

"I don't know." Cal shrugged. "I—I guess."

"So what you're saying is, you got blind drunk, you blacked out," Dean said. "Something tells me this isn't the first time."

"So, Cal, truthfully, who knows what you've really been up to at night?" Sam asked.

"Look, what's this about?" Cal asked defensively.

"We're investigating the death of Ronald Garrigan," Angela answered.

"My brother?" Cal frowned. He looked at the woman who just shrugged.

"Sorry for your loss," Dean replied.

"Yeah, I thought that was some kind of animal attack," Cal said.

"No love lost between the two of you, huh?" Sam asked.

"Look, we had our differences, I guess." Cal shrugged. "You love your brother, of course, but…Ron had a lot of problems. He was, uh, volatile."

"Last time he was here, you called the cops?" Angela asked.

"Yeah, look, he came in here all messed up, and he was yelling," Cal explained. "He shoved Mandy. So, yeah, I called the cops. I don't see how this has to do with—

"Your landlord was found dead this week," Sam said. "Were you aware of that?"

"Saw it in the papers," Cal replied. "Why?"

"Well, you two were pretty far behind on your rent, right?" Sam asked. "He had sent eviction papers?"

"I—I'm sorry." Mandy cut in. "That was an animal attack."

"Funny enough, yeah—both of 'em were," Sam replied, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"So, great, great," Cal said. "What in the hell do you think I had to do with 'em?"

"Just following procedure. Had to ask." Angela replied. "You two have a good day."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela walked towards the Impala.

"So, Cal's a prince," Sam said.

"Yeah, doesn't even know where he was last night." Dean scoffed.

"Bag him now?" Sam suggested.

"No." Angela shook her head.

"Angie's right, we gotta make sure." Dean agreed.

"Really?" Sam raised a brow.

"Before we hand him over to a lifetime of demon rape?" Dean asked. "Yeah, really."

They got into the Impala and drove away.

~/~\~

The Impala pulled up and parked near a garage next to a fix-it business on the other side of the hedge. Men were arriving in their vehicles as the door to the garage rolled up. Someone turned on the lights to reveal that the garage was furnished like a bar.

"Boy, Cal just doesn't know when to quit." Sam scoffed.

"Three scuzzy bars, one scuzzy strip club, a chili-dog joint, seven or eight nightcaps, and now…scotches in the library." Dean shook his head. "I'm getting cirrhosis just watching this. Other than that, we got squat."

"Let's just see what happens." Angela sighed.

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela were still watching the garage bar.

"Guys, the sun's up." Dean sighed.

Two men left the garage while others were sitting around the table.

"This guy's still on two legs." Dean continued. "In theory. He ain't wolfing out."

"Well, not tonight, anyway," Sam replied.

"Let's head back," Angela suggested. "We can re-attack this in a couple hours."

Dean nodded in agreement and started the Impala.

~/~\~

Cal's body was being zipped into a body bag on a wheeled stretcher. Dean, Sam, and Angela were in their FBI outfits.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that it's not Cal," Dean said.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Masterful deduction, Sherlock."

"I mean, a werewolf attack in daylight?" Angela raised a brow. "This whole thing is just weird."

"Dogs and cats living together—mass hysteria," Sam replied. "So, you guys know this means that we're down to one suspect, right?"

"We know," Angela replied.

"I mean, Mandy is right at the deep end of the vic pool." Sam continued. "Can you guys do it?"

"Do what?" Dean asked.

"Shove her in the trunk, serve her up to Crowley," Sam explained.

Dean sighed and glanced at Angela. "Yeah, Sam, we can do it."

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela walked across the streets toward Mandy.

"Ma'am," Angela said.

"Agents." Mandy greeted. "What are you doing here?"

Angela frowned. "Nobody called you?"

"Called me about what?" Mandy asked, confused.

~/~\~

Lucky was on a dog bed next to the kitchen table. Dean, Sam, Angela, and Mandy were seated at the table.

"I'm sorry," Mandy said. "I…I just can't believe it."

"We're really very sorry," Dean replied sincerely.

"Ma'am, I know this isn't the best time, but we'd like you to come with us," Sam said.

Mandy looked at Sam, confused. "Why? You think I have something to do with this? With Cal?"

"Of course not," Angela assured. "We just have a few questions—i's and t's, mostly."

"I, uh…could we do it later?" Mandy asked.

"I'm afraid not," Sam replied.

Mandy looked at Sam, who stared back unmoved. "Oh." She replied. "Uh—uh, my kid has the flu, um, and he was up all night, so—

"Well, is there a neighbor or a friend who can watch him while you're gone?" Sam interrupted.

"I'm sorry." Angela cut in. "You said your son was up all night?"

"Uh, yeah." Mandy shrugged.

Dean quickly caught on to Angela was getting at. "Were you with him all night?" he asked.

"Um—uh—well, I had, um, half an hour of sleep, maybe," Mandy replied.

"Can we talk to your son?" Angela asked.

"Why?" Mandy frowned.

Sam narrowed his eyes at Angela. "Yeah, what difference does that make, Agent Jackson?"

"Trust me. It's important." Angela told Sam before she turned back to Mandy. "Please?"

~/~\~

The three hunters were walking towards the Impala.

"Well, it wasn't her," Angela said.

"You don't know that." Sam scoffed.

"She's got an alibi, dude," Dean replied.

"She's lying." Sam shrugged.

"You heard the kid, Sam," Angela replied. "She's not lying."

"Fine," Sam replied. "She still had time to wolf out. The last werewolf we hunted was in bed, with me, and she wolfed out."

"Don't make this personal." Dean rolled his eyes. "Look, all we're saying is that between this and the daylight attacks, something's not adding up."

"Dean's right." Angela nodded. "We're not just gonna hand her over to Crowley until we figure out what. You understand?"

Sam clenched his jaw slightly and sighed. "Okay. Okay. I understand." He conceded. "How 'bout you guys go check out Cal's crime scene, see if we're missing anything. I'll come back and keep an eye on Amanda."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Dean shook his head. "No, how 'bout you go, and Angie and I will stay here?"

"Dean, I still know how to do my job," Sam argued. "I'm just gonna watch her. That's all. Trust me." Sam added before he got into the car.

"Uh-huh. Right." Angela muttered.

~/~\~

Sam was leaning against the playground equipment, watching the house. He saw Lucky's head through the window. Lucky lowered his head and disappeared from sight. A naked man straightened up in the spot where Lucky was and stretched. Sam grabbed his binoculars as the man walked out of the room. Sam cocked his gun. The man reappeared, wearing clothes. He left the house and crossed the street to the park. He stopped, sniffed the air, and looked around before continuing across the park. Sam watched from behind a wall. The man swung himself over a fence as Sam pointed his gun at him. The man walked up to a larger man who was waiting under a tree. Sam lowered his gun. The larger man gestured forcefully as he talked to Lucky, then walked away. Sam raised his gun again as Lucky walked slowly back across the park. He stopped to sniff the air again and looked in Sam's direction. Sam flattened himself against the wall and stayed still. Lucky took off running across the park and Sam followed. Lucky swung over a fence, then reached for his jacket. In dog form, Lucky ran along the path. Sam stopped to pick up the discarded clothes before continuing the chase. Lucky ran into the street and suddenly a station wagon braked hard and stopped.

Sam paused, gun drawn, near the street, and heard the people from the station wagon.

"It's okay." A man said.

"It's okay." A woman repeated.

The man lifted Lucky into the station wagon. "It'll be okay, boy."

Sam ran towards the street.

"Oh…" the woman sighed. "We gotta find a vet."

The man got into the driver's seat of the station wagon.

"Hurry, hurry!" the woman exclaimed.

Sam paused at the edge of the street and put his gun in the back of his jeans. "Hey!" he yelled. He ran towards the station wagon, waving his arms. "Wait, wait, wait! Wait, wait! Mister!" he yelled. "Hey, mister, wait! That's my dog!" he tried as the station wagon drove away. "That's my dog." Sam sighed.


	16. All Dogs Go to Heaven Part 2

Dean was sitting on the edge of his bed looking at his cellphone. Lisa's name was highlighted on the phone screen. Angela was in the kitchen area making coffee. Dean tossed the phone on a table and started rummaging through the fridge. Angela's phone rang and she went to answer it.

"Hey." Angela greeted.

 _"Hey, it's me,"_ Sam replied.

"Alright, I'm putting you on speaker." She said.

"We got bupkis here," Dean said as he walked over to Angela.

~/~\~

"I definitely got something," Sam replied as he grabbed his bag from next to a trash can. "It ain't a werewolf, for one."

 _"Yeah?"_ Angela asked on the other line. _"What is it?"_

"Skinwalker," Sam replied.

 _"A skinwalker?"_ Dean asked. _"As in…"_

"As in the family dog seriously needs a neuter." Sam scoffed as he walked.

 _"Huh,"_ Angela replied. _"I'm actually a little rusty on the profile…"_

"You and me both." Sam agreed. "Uh, I just got the lowdown from Bobby. They can change anywhere, anytime. Skinwalkers infect you with a single bite. Otherwise, they're basically a werewolf cousin—silver will drop 'em, they chow hearts like sausages."

 _"So what happened?"_ Dean asked. _"Did you catch him?"_

"Not exactly," Sam replied. "But I have some idea where he might be." He added before hanging up.

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela walked into a room containing dogs in cages. One of the dogs was Lucky.

"Hiya, Lucky." Dean greeted as he crouched down in from of the cage. "Bad dog. First things first." He held up his gun. "You see this? This is silver. Don't say I didn't warn you." He added as he put the clip back in the gun. "Okay, time to go. Now, we can either do this the easy way," he held up a pair of jeans. "Hmm? Or the hard way." He finished, holding up a chain.

Sam laughed and Dean looked back at him. Sam shrugged. "What? Soul or not, that's funny."

Angela reluctantly nodded in agreement. "I mean, you're trying to negotiate with a dog." She giggled.

Dean just rolled his eyes and Lucky barked.

~/~\~

Lucky, in human form was tied to a chair with a rope reinforced with chain. Sam sat on another chair and Dean and Angela sat on the edge of a bed.

"Well, I got to tell you, Lucky, you got us stumped," Sam said. "I mean, why shack up with the family? Is it a kinky thing? Do you like to play with your food?" he asked. He whistled. "Roll over, Lucky. Speak."

"Go to hell." Lucky snarled.

"Already been." Sam shrugged. "Didn't agree with him. So, look…" he got up and picked up a knife from the desk. "How about I take this silver knife, and start carving some dog until you behave?"

"You do what you got to do." Lucky replied.

Sam approached Lucky. Angela held up a hand to stop him.

"Hang on, Sam." She said. "Listen, you don't have to tell us why you're with the family. We get it." She looked at Lucky.

"Oh, you do, do you?" Lucky scoffed.

"You killed every threat that came near them," Dean replied. "You care about them, in your own whack-a-doodle kind of way. What we want to know is, who was that guy you were kibitzing with? He a skinwalker, too?"

Lucky sighed. "Look, I can't say anything."

"But if you don't, then you're gonna put the girl and the little boy in danger," Angela explained. "And sooner or later, all this crap is gonna come for them." She stood up. "Now, look, we don't give a rat's ass about you. We want to help them. That's our angle. That's it."

Lucky paused for a moment. "Yeah, that guy, he's a…whatever I am. And he's not the only one."

"How many are you?" Sam asked.

"About 30." Lucky replied. "We were all—we were kind of recruited."

"Recruited?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." Lucky nodded. "Me, I was living on the streets. They found me. They told me one small bite, I'd be strong, I'd be fast."

"Sniffing people's butts?" Dean scoffed. "Yeah, that's a real step up."

"Well, it was for me." Lucky replied.

"Where is this little Scooby gang of yours?" Dean asked.

"Everywhere." Lucky shrugged. "We're out there finding families, and once they take us in, we lay low."

"Lay low?" Angela asked. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Well, we're waiting for the word," Lucky replied vaguely.

"What word?" Angela pressed.

"Once we're settled, we get the signal…and we all turn on our families." Lucky explained. "We change them, all in one night. 30 becomes 150."

Dean shook his head. "God, you're a sleeper cell."

"Yeah, well, that's one way to say it." Lucky replied.

"So you're waiting for the word from who?" Sam asked. "Who organized you?"

"There's a pack leader," Lucky answered.

"You Alpha?" Sam raised a brow.

Lucky looked confused. "What's an Alpha?"

"The—the first skinwalker, the strongest," Angela explained.

"Well, he's plenty strong, but, no, I—I don't think so." Lucky replied. "I'm pretty sure there are guys like him in other towns. We're not the only pack out there."

"Fantastic." Dean nodded. "Then you can help us stop him."

"Oh, no, I can't." Lucky shook his head. "No."

"Yes, you can," Dean assured.

"No, you guys don't get it. No one can." Lucky replied. "These guys who turned me—they're ruthless."

Sam whistled and held up a ball, then threw it.

Angela closed her eyes and sighed. "Sam, not helping."

"Fetch this, dick." Lucky glared at Sam.

"Listen to me." Angela crouched down in front of Lucky. "What are you gonna do to that family, really? You gonna put your jaws around that little boy's throat? Clamp down, listen to him cry for his mom? 'Cause I'm gonna guess that there are the only people in your life that have _ever_ shown you kindness. So it's either that…or you can help us stop it." She said. "Your choice."

~/~\~

The Impala was parked under a bridge. Dean was taking things out of the trunk.

"So…how are we supposed to get near something that can smell us a hundred yards off?"

"We don't," Dean replied, opening a case of rifles.

"The pack leader," Sam said. "We're taking him down?"

"Yeah," Dean replied obviously. "Got a better idea?"

"No, I…Crowley's not gonna be happy about that," Sam replied.

"Who gives a rat's ass?" Dean scoffed. "We let that thing love one second, and it sends out that psychic dog whistle and…phew!" he waved his hand.

"On the other hand, it could lead us to an Alpha," Sam replied. "Then Crowley would give me my soul back."

"Sam, I want you to have your soul back more than anything, but…150 people turned into monsters?" Angela replied. "That's what you want?"

"No. Of course not." Sam shrugged. "I…I'm just asking."

Angela clenched her jaw and shook her head. "Alright, you know what? That's it."

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"You say you're 'just folks', yeah?" Angela replied. "That—that you like baseball and apple pie or whatever. But the truth is, I don't know what you are, 'cause you're definitely not Sam."

"Angie, come on." Sam sighed.

She shook her head. "I mean, it's your body, a-and maybe your brain, but it's not you, Sam!" she exclaimed. "So, please, just…stop pretending. For my sake. For all of our sakes." She added before walking off.

Dean sighed and cast a quick glance at Sam before he followed Angela. Sam picked up a bag, closed the trunk, and walked after them.

~/~\~

Lucky, in human form was waiting outside of a building with a large roller door. Dean was watching through the sights of a rifle from a nearby room. Angela and Sam sat near Dean. Sam fiddled with the silver bullets.

"He looks nervous, right?" Sam asked.

"Wouldn't you be?" Angela countered.

"I'd double-cross us," Sam admitted. "I mean, he's got to realize that's his best bet if he wants to keep breathing."

"Nah, he'll go through with it," Dean assured.

"You mean 'cause he loves that family?" Sam raised a brow.

"Yeah." Dean shrugged.

"I'd double-cross us," Sam said again.

Angela rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, this guy has a soul, unlike you." She snapped slightly.

"Just making conversation." Sam defended.

"Well, don't," Angela replied harshly.

Dean watched as a vehicle pulled up. "Here we go."

Sam stood up and looked through a pair of binoculars. Three men got out of the vehicle. The roller door to the building opened and three more men came out.

"That big guy, the driver—that's the guy Lucky met in the park," Sam said.

Dean looked through the rifle sights at a bald man, who was behind another man. "And there's El Jefe."

"Take him out," Sam instructed.

Dean shook his head. "It's not clean. We got one shot at this—literally."

The bald man walked over to Lucky, looked at him, and shook his head. Another man escorted Mandy and Mandy's son out of the back of the vehicle.

"Take the shot," Sam demanded.

"I'm trying!" Dean snapped. "She's in the way."

"Take it anyway!" Sam replied.

Dean and Angela looked at Sam, who just stared back at them. Through the rifle sights, Dean watched the bald man put an arm around Lucky and led him inside. Lucky looked back at Mandy and her son.

"Come on, come on, come on," Dean muttered. "Ahh."

With everyone now inside the building, a man closed the roller door. Dean lowered the rifle with a sigh.

"So, plan B?" Sam asked.

"We've got one?" Angela asked, her brows knitting together.

~/~\~

Sam stepped out from behind a partition and shot the bald men. Mandy gasped. Dean and Angela shot from some distance away. Mandy took cover as Dean, Sam, and Angela continued to shoot. Two of the men started running and Sam chased after them.

"Mommy!" Mandy's son yelled.

"It's okay," Mandy whispered.

Lucky crouched down in front of Mandy. "Mandy!" he exclaimed. "Come on, come on."

"Who are you?" she glared. "I don't even know you!"

"Yes, you do," Lucky assured. "Trust me, I'm trying to help. Come on, come on!"

Dean watched through the rifle sights as Lucky led Mandy and her son away. Angela stood next to him clutching her gun.

Sam chased after one of the men and shot repeatedly. "Dean! Angie!"

Lucky opened the door to a small room. "Get in," he instructed.

"But I don't—

"Get in!" Lucky cut Mandy off. He closed the door behind them. "Bolt it! Bolt it!"

Mandy locked the door. The man Sam chased was hiding behind some equipment. Mandy pushed her son under a desk.

"Here, baby, go under here." She instructed. "Okay, stay there, honey. You'll be safe." She whispered. She looked through the door's window at Lucky.

Sam discovered a pile of clothes where the man was. He walked past the clothes. A Doberman appeared around a corner behind him.

A wolf trotted up behind Dean and Angela and snarled. Dean tried to turn, but his rifle was stuck in the grill. The wolf leaped at them and Angela fired her handgun. A naked man with a gunshot wound in his back lied face down on the ground.

Sam continued to search the building. The Doberman followed him.

"You're _protecting_ them?" the large man said to Lucky. "After what I did for you? I gave you your life back!"

Dean watched through his rifle sights.

"Them?" the man continued. "You're nothing to them. You're a dog."

Lucky punched the large man in the face. The large man just laughed.

"I-I was gonna turn them." The large man smirked. "But now I'm gonna kill 'em."

The large man punched Lucky, sending him flying into the office door, causing the glass to shatter. Mandy screamed.

The Doberman growled and ran at Sam, who shot it as it leaped toward him. A naked man with a gunshot wound was on the ground.

Lucky got to his feet. He looked back at Mandy before he turned back into a dog. He barked at the large man.

"Lucky?!" Mandy exclaimed.

Lucky continued to bark.

"So you think this is gonna be a dog-fight?" the large man asked as he pulled out a gun. "I've got a better idea." He smirked. He shot Lucky, who yelped. The large man advanced on Lucky, who lied on the ground whimpering.

Dean watched through the rifle sights, looking for a clear shot.

"Silver bullet, Lucky." The large man smirked.

Dean shot the large man, who fell to the ground dead near another man who was shot earlier. Sam approached and looked at Lucky, who was still lying on the ground. Sam checked his magazine clip and moved around some drums to get a better shot. When he raised his gun, Lucky was gone, with only a pool of blood remaining on the ground. Mandy watched Sam from behind the shattered glass of the office door.

~/~\~

A woman jogged with a dog on a leash. Sam was carrying a bag of take-out food and he, Dean, and Angela each held drinks.

"I'll never look at a dog the same," Dean said. "Makes you wonder, though, huh?"

"What?" Sam asked as they sat at a picnic table.

"How many packs are out there," Dean explained. "What if they're all just waiting for the signal, you know?"

Sam nodded and paused for a moment. "So…I was thinking." He said suddenly. "You guys were right."

"About?" Angela asked curiously.

Sam looked at Angela. "I'm not your boyfriend, Angie." He said before he looked at Dean. "And I'm not your brother, Dean. I'm not Sam."

Dean and Angela looked at each other. Dean squared his shoulders slightly. "Okay."

"Um, all that 'blah, blah, blah' about being the old me?" Sam continued. "Crap. Like, Lisa and Ben, right? I've been acting like I care about them. But I don't. I couldn't care less."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" Dean asked.

"You wanted the real me." Sam shrugged. "This is it. I don't care about them. I don't even care about you and Angie. Except that…I need your help. And you guys clearly aren't gonna stick around for much longer unless I give it to you straight, so…I've done a lot worse than you know." He explained. "I've killed innocent people in the line of duty. But I'm pretty sure it's not something the old me could've done. And maybe I should feel guilty. But I don't."

Angela ran a hand over her face. "Sam, get to the punch line."

"I don't know if how I am is better or worse. It's different." Sam shrugged. "You get the job done and. Nothing really hurts. But there are also things about it that I remember, like how in love I was with you, Angie. And…Let's just say I think I should probably go back to being him."

Angela nodded. "Okay." She murmured, deep in thought.

"That's very interesting," Dean said. "It's a step."

"So?" Sam asked, looking at them.

"We do what we got to do," Angela said. "And we get Sam back. The _real_ Sam."


	17. Clap Your Hands if You Believe Part 1

"I'm here because I believe that Elwood, Indiana has become a center of extraterrestrial activity." Wayne Whitaker said.

"There was this light," Kim said. "And then Patrick just vanished."

"It's all happening, you know?" Sparrow Jennings smiled. "I mean, these entities have come to help push humanity to the next stage."

"My name is Wayne Whitaker Jr. and I have personally recorded dozens of eyewitness accounts, strange lights in the sky, and mysterious presences attempting to contact." He said with a grin.

"Since this whole damned circus has blown into town, no one seems to realize we got four missing persons cases wide open." The sheriff scoffed. "My friends lost loved ones."

"What happened to him?" Kim asked. "Something took him! I know it!"

"We are right in the middle of what we in the field like to call a 'UFO flap' and I am as happy as a pig in shoes." Wayne smiled.

"I can guarantee you that is has nothing to do with UFO's, little green men, nothing extraterrestrial whatsoever." The sheriff assured.

"Of course it's not UFO's." Marion giggled. "It's fairies."

"Fairies." Dean nodded. "Okay. Well, thank you for your input."

"What?" Sam scoffed. "Flying saucers not insane enough for you?"

Marion tilted her head. "What newspaper did you say you worked for?"

"Okay, if you want to add glitter to that glue you're sniffing, that's fine, but don't dump your whackadoo all over us." Sam continued. "We'd rather not step in it."

Angela rolled her eyes. "Okay, we're done, we're done."

"The only thing you're missing is a couple dozen cats, sister," Sam added as Angela and Dean pulled him away.

"It's a blood sugar thing," Dean told Marion. "My apologies." He added as they walked away.

"What?" Sam asked, confused.

"What? You gotta ask?" Dean scoffed. "Right, yes, you do have to ask." Dean rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry, but this is all a big joke, right, and we're not actually taking this UFO crap seriously?" Sam replied.

"No, man." Dean sighed. "ET is made of rubber. Everybody knows that. But there are four legitimate vanishings in this town. Something's going on. And Sam? By the way, it's not the lady's fault that she took the brown acid."

"Yeah! So?" Sam replied.

"Empathy, Sam. _Empathy._ " Angela stressed. "I mean, the old Sam would've given her those adorable puppy dog eyes and thanked her for her time."

"Old Sam had a soul—was a soul." Sam shrugged. "Whatever."

"Right!" Dean nodded. "Yes, and, and, but you don't—aren't. Whatever."

"Right," Sam replied.

"Right. You don't care." Angela shook her head.

"Well—

"You _have_ to care!" Angela exclaimed, clearly frustrated.

"About what, exactly?" Sam asked.

"About everything, man!" Dean replied. "About being human at least."

"Look, you guys obviously care. A lot." Sam said. "And that's great. But I can't care about what—I can't care about, you know? What do you guys want me to do, fake it?"

"Yes. Absolutely." Dean nodded. "Fake it. Fake it till you make it."

"What happened to you wanting me to be all honest?" Sam asked.

"Hey, you wanna be a real boy, Pinnochio, you gotta act the part." Dean shrugged.

"I was faking it!" Sam exclaimed. "Ever since we got back on the road together, I was picking every freaking word! It's exhausting."

"Okay. Alright." Angela conceded. "But until we get your soul back, Dean and I will be your conscience, okay?"

Dean nodded in agreement. "Yes. Great idea."

"So you're saying you guys will be my…Jiminy Cricket," Sam replied.

"Shut up." Dean rolled his eyes. "But yeah, you freaking puppet. That's exactly what we're saying."

The three of them stopped and watched Mr. Brennan unload boxes from a truck.

"Mr. Brennan?" Dean asked as they walked over.

"Mmm?" Mr. Brennan hummed.

"We're with The Mirror," Angela said. "We would like to ask you—

"What?" Mr. Brennan cut her off. "Is this about Patrick? Patrick's gone."

"Missing. Right." Dean nodded. "Yes, that's what we want to talk to you about."

"Now, your son was the first to disappear," Sam said.

"First to be taken." Mr. Brennan corrected.

"Taken," Sam repeated.

"Get out! Out!" Mr. Brennan lashed out.

"Mr. Brennan, who do you believe took your son?" Angela asked softly.

"You people can't help me." Mr. Brennan shook his head. "My boy is never coming back."

"You sound awfully sure," Sam commented.

Mr. Brennan looked at Sam. "Excuse me?"

"Like you know something you're not talking about." Sam continued.

"Okay." Angela sighed. "Alright, come on."

"You know what they say." Mr. Brennan shrugged. "72 hours. After that, the odds of finding a missing person drop to nothing, right?"

"Well, every case is different," Angela replied.

"It's been weeks." Mr. Brennan shook his head.

"Alright. Listen." Dean said. "Call us if anything comes to mind." He added before they left.

~/~\~

"What do you think?" Sam asked.

"I think he's hiding something," Angela replied. "Why don't you stay and watch Mr. Brennan and see what happens when the sun goes down, and Dean and I will go check out the crop circles."

Sam nodded. "Sounds good."

"But please, do not engage with, maim or in any way kill Brennan." Angela pleaded. "In fact, don't make any judgment calls whatsoever. If anything happens, call one of us."

Sam sighed and looked down at Angela. "You know, Jiminy, I was on my own for a whole year. I did fine without you guys."

"Yeah." Dean scoffed. "We don't want to know your definition of fine."

"Like you said earlier Sam, you killed innocent people in the line of duty," Angela replied. "So don't make any rash decisions, okay?"

Sam sighed and rolled his eyes. "Okay."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were scoping out the cornfield. Dean's phone rang and he answered it.

 _"The only thing this guy is up to is alcoholism."_ Sam's voice came through the phone.

"Good." Dean nodded.

 _"You know, maybe I should go talk to him again,"_ Sam suggested. _"I mean, Angie's the one who said he's hiding something."_

Both Angela and Dean paused when they saw a bright light over them.

"Shh! Shh!" Dean hushed Sam.

 _"What?"_ Sam asked eagerly. _"Do you guys see something? What's up?"_

"Hang on a second…" Angela muttered.

"Holy…" Dean trailed off. "UFO! UFO!" He yelled as he and Angela started running.

 _"Whoa!"_ Sam exclaimed. _"Stop yelling. You're breaking up. I didn't catch that last part."_

"Close encounter! Close encounter!" Dean yelled.

 _"Close encounter!"_ Sam exclaimed in awe. _"What kind? First? Second?"_

"They're after us!" Dean yelled.

 _"Third kind already?"_ Sam asked. _"You guys better run. I think the fourth kind is a butt thing."_

"Empathy, Sam! Empathy!" Dean yelled.

 _"They still after you guys?"_ Sam asked.

Dean dropped his phone.

"Come on!" Angela yelled at the light above them.

 _"Dean? Angie?"_ Sam's voice came from the phone. _"Are you two there. What happened?"_

~/~\~

Sam walked through the cornfield and found Dean's ringing phone. He picked it up and turned it off.

~/~\~

Sam walked into the RV camp of UFO enthusiasts. He walked over to Wayne. "So, they're real. UFO's."

"Like I said before, son, the truth is out there." Wayne smiled.

"Okay, you're the expert." Sam shrugged. "How do I get them?"

Wayne looked confused. "Come again?"

"You hunt ET's, right?" Sam asked. "I need to know how to get them."

"You and me both." Wayne laughed.

Sam looked at Wayne's findings. "This is it?"

"Well, I'd say that 30 years of eyewitness accounts speak for themselves as incontrovertible proof—

"Yeah, right." Sam cut him off. "My brother and my…friend…were abducted so I'm pretty good on the whole proof part."

Sparrow, a pretty looking girl, walked up and joined the conversation. "Your brother and your friend were abducted?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Oh my God," Sparrow replied.

"It's fine." Sam shrugged. "I mean, I've had time to adjust."

"Did it happen when you were kids?" she asked curiously.

"No, like, half an hour ago," Sam replied. "So, you've been hunting UFO's for over three decades and you basically have no concrete data and _zero_ workable leads?" Sam asked Wayne.

The man faltered slightly. "Well, I—

"Have you ever considered the possibility that you suck at hunting UFO's?" Sam asked.

Sparrow smiled softly. "I'd like to help." She suggested. "If I can."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela reappeared in the cornfield, yelling and shooting their guns wildly in the air.

~/~\~

Angela opened the door to the motel room and found Sam in bed with Sparrow. She froze as she entered the room. Dean came in behind her.

"Dean! Angie!" Sam exclaimed.

Angela clenched her jaw slightly. "What the hell?" she snapped.

"Oh, that's Angela and Dean!" Sparrow exclaimed. "Sam, they brought them back." She grinned at him.

"You need to get the hell out of here." Angela snarled. "Now."

Sparrow faltered slightly. "O-okay." She stammered. She quickly got dressed and grabbed her purse. She stopped in front of Angela. "Can I…just…what were they like?"

Angela glared daggers at the woman. "They were grabby, incandescent douche bags." She replied. "Now get the hell out of my face."

Sparrow frowned and nodded. "O-okay." She stammered. She quickly walked out of the motel room.

Sam looked over at Angela. "Angie—

She held up her hand and shook her head. "Don't." She cut him off. "I don't want to hear whatever you have to say." She said. She sighed, trying to calm herself down. "I need some air." She muttered before she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Maybe I should—

"No." Dean cut him off quickly. "No, I will go talk to Angie because you'll probably just make things worse." He added. "Just stay here. Don't move." He said before he left the motel room.

~/~\~

Dean ran after Angela. "Angie! Angie, c'mon, come back inside."

Angela stopped and shook her head. "I can't." She replied. "I can't even look at him, Dean." She added, blinking back tears.

"Kiddo—

"I don't know how much longer I can do this!" Angela's voice cracked. "We don't know when or if we'll get his soul back! Knowing he's been sleeping with other women, it broke my heart, but seeing it…"

Dean put his hands on her shoulders. "Angie, I promise, we will get his soul back. Sammy will back in no time. And you two can go back to taking the Impala thinking I don't notice." He smirked.

Angela laughed slightly. "So, you knew about that, huh?"

Dean nodded, a smile on his face. "Yeah, yeah, you guys aren't as sneaky as you think you are." He laughed. "Now come on, let's go inside."

Angela nodded. "Thank you, Dean, seriously."

"You and I are here for each other." Dean shrugged. "You'd do the same for me."

"Speaking of relationships," Angela started as they walked toward the motel. "Have you talked to Lisa recently?"

Dean shook his head. "Not since the Veritas case." He replied. "I don't know what's in store for us to be honest."

"Well, here's to both of our relationships working out." Angela smiled up at Dean.

"Thanks, kiddo." Dean smiled back as he opened the door to the motel room, letting Angela in first.

Sam immediately stood up when Dean and Angela came back inside. "You're upset."

Angela shifted slightly. "We were abducted…" Angela started. "And you were having sex with…whoever that was. It hurts, Sam."

"I was looking into it," Sam assured, shrugging slightly.

Angela scoffed slightly. "We were gone for, like, an hour." She replied. "And most of that was walking back to town."

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "An hour? You two have been gone all night."

"What are you talking about?" Dean scoffed. "No, we haven't." He mumbled, pulling out his phone. "Four A.M.?"

"Yeah!" Sam exclaimed. "UFO time slip. That actually falls in line with a lot of abduction stories."

"Falls in line…" Dean started.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Nothing's falling in line," Dean grumbled.

"Here." Sam grabbed Dean and Angela a glass of water as they sat on one of the beds. "Drink. Good."

"Thank you," Angela replied before she took a sip.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Now. Come on. Talk to me. What happened?"

Dean looked at Angela and then back at Sam. "Well, uh, there was this…God help me, Sam, there was this bright white light!"

"It's okay." Sam patted Dean's leg. "Safe room." He assured.

"And then…suddenly, we were, uh, we were in a different place," Angela said. "And there were these beings, and they were too bright to look at, but we could feel them pulling us to these…tables—

"Probing tables!" Sam exclaimed.

Angela glared at him. "Don't say it out loud for God's sake!"

Sam paused for a moment and nodded. "Right. So what did you guys do?"

"We went crazy." Dean shrugged. "We started hacking and slashing and firing. They actually seemed surprised. I don't think anybody's ever done that before. Yeah. We had a close encounter, Sam, and we won."

"You guys should take a shower," Sam suggested.

"Excellent idea." Angela nodded. "Definitely gonna take a shower now."

"Dibs on the first one." Dean shot up.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela sat at a booth in a diner.

"So, on top of all the demons and the angels and the ghosts and the skinwalkers, it turns out that there's—so if aliens are actually real, what's next?" Dean asked. "Hobbits? Seriously."

Sam smirked at the waitress as she walked by. She smiled back at him as she walked by their booth.

"Really?" Angela asked, raising a brow. "I mean, seriously?"

Sam looked at Angela and shrugged. "What?"

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You just gave her the silent how ya doin'." He replied.

"I mean, are you trying to deliberately piss me off?" Angela glared. "I mean, seriously, do you have to flirt with other women right in front of me? I mean, try to have some damn empathy, Sam!" She snapped.

Dean nodded in agreement. "Look, our reality is collapsing around us, and you're trying to pick up our waitress. Right after Angie and I caught you in bed with that hippie chick. We're both understandably upset, Sam." He explained.

"Yeah. Okay." Sam nodded. "Look. Brings up a question. So, say you got a soul and you're on a case and your brother and your ex-girlfriend get abducted by aliens—

"Well, if you had a soul, I wouldn't be your ex-girlfriend." Angela seethed.

"Look, you would do everything you can to get them back." Dean cut in.

"Right!" Sam agreed. "You do, but, what about when there are no more leads for the night? Are you supposed to just sit there in the dark and suffer, even when there's nothing that can be done at that moment?"

"Yes!" Dean clapped his hands.

"What?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"Yes, you sit in the dark and feel the loss." Dean shrugged.

"Absolutely!" Sam agreed. "But couldn't I just do all that and have sex with the hippie chick?"

"No!" Angela snapped, clearly frustrated.

"It'd be in the dark." Sam defended.

"Not the point, Sam." Angela glared. "If you had a soul, you wouldn't have slept with another woman. If you had a soul, you wouldn't have stopped looking for us. Y-You can't just turn off the suffering!"

"Thanks." The waitress smiled as she set down the check.

Dean smiled up at her. "Thank y—

"Why not?" Sam asked Angela, cutting Dean off.

"Because if you had a soul, your soul wouldn't let you!" Angela explained.

"So you're saying having a soul equals suffering." Sam frowned.

"Yes." Angela nodded. "That is exactly what I'm saying."

"Like, knowing that I don't love you and that I've been sleeping with other women," Sam said. "So you're saying suffering is a good thing."

Angela clenched her jaw and closed her eyes, trying to keep calm. "I am so close to losing my damn mind." She said. She opened her eyes and sighed. "Look, Sam, I'm saying…it's the only game in town."

"Okay." Sam nodded. "So how do we deal with the little green men?"

"Research," Dean said. "We've got about a century of UFO lore to catch up on, and there's no time for—what's up with that guy?" Dean asked.

A guy stood outside of the diner, glaring at Dean and Angela. He was wearing a red cap.

Sam looked over his shoulder. "Who?"

"The guy by the window giving me and Dean the stink eye," Angela replied.

"You mean the cop?" Sam asked.

"No, not the cop!" Dean snapped. "The guy! He's right—oh now he's gone!"

"Who's gone?" Sam asked, looking at Dean and Angela, clearly confused.

"Oh my God. We need to get out of here before I hit you." She told Sam.

"Okay. Geez." Sam muttered.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were in the motel room. Dean had Sam on speaker.

"Library's closing up soon." Sam's voice came from the phone. "I'm almost done."

"You find anything?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. Way too much." Sam scoffed. "Everyone on the planet believes in UFO's, and they will not stop writing books about it."

"Yeah, well at least books have punctuation," Dean replied. "Alright, keep digging and we'll see what you got when you get back." He added before hanging up.

David Bowie's _Major Tom_ started playing on the radio in the motel room. Suddenly the lights started to flicker.

"Oh no," Angela said. "Not again."

The door slammed open and a bright ball of light came flying into the room.

Dean narrowed his eyes at the ball of light. "Nipples?"

The bright light punched Dean in the face and then Angela.

"Bitch!" Dean growled. He trapped the light in the microwave and a splat could be heard. Dean turned toward Angela and grinned. "Haha!" He laughed.


	18. Clap Your Hands if You Believe Part 2

Sam, Dean, and Angela were peering into the microwave.

"See what?" Sam asked.

"See what?" Dean repeated incredulously. "See all the blood. See all the blech."

"Sorry, man." Sam shrugged. "I'm not seeing it."

"You don't see the ick?" Angela asked. "It's right there." She gestured at the inside of the microwave.

"Okay, let's go with you two see it and I don't." Sam shrugged. "What the hell was it?"

"It was, a, a little…naked lady, okay?" Dean mumbled.

"It was a _what?"_ Sam asked, his brows furrowing together.

"It was a—it was a little, glowing, hot naked lady." Dean shrugged. "With _nipples._ And she hit us."

Sam looked at Dean and Angela. "I'm not supposed to laugh, right?" He asked. "Right. Okay. Sure. Um. So, shot in the dark here, but did this little lady have wings?"

Angela frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"She did, didn't she?" Sam asked.

Angela shrugged. "Yeah, but how did you know?"

"One of the fringier theories I came across," Sam said. "It's actually what crazy crystal lady was yammering about. What if these abductions have nothing to do with UFO's?"

"What?" Dean asked.

"Okay, say these encounters have been going on for centuries, not with extraterrestrials but with _ultra-terrestrials,_ " Sam explained. "People nowadays say 'space aliens' or whatever, but they used to call them fairies." He added, turning his laptop around.

"Fairies?" Angela scoffed. "Come on."

"There's a straight line between ET's and fairies," Sam replied. "Glowing lights, abductions. It's all the same UFO stuff, just under a different skin."

Dean shook his head. "You seriously think that the secret with UFO's is—

"Hey, you're the one who pizza-rolled Tinkerbell." Sam cut him off. "I'm just doing the math. But this is good. This is a lead."

"A lead where?" Angela asked.

~/~\~

The three hunters sat in Marion's trailer drinking tea from tiny cups.

"Fairies. Sprites and spriggens. Bogarts and brownies." Marion smiled. "The little people have many names."

Dean pointed at a figurine. "Well, that's, uh, that's her. That's the little—

"Ooh." Marion nodded.

"Anyway, I, uh, I get that Tinkerbells are fairies, but what about the tiny Santa Claus and the troll and the—

Marion nodded. "That's a garden gnome, and that's a large goblin, and—

"But they're all fairies?" Angela asked.

"Yes." Marion nodded. "Faery comes in many shapes and sizes. Magical, mischievous beings from the realm next door."

"The fairy realm," Dean said.

"Mm-hmm." Marion hummed.

"So it's like another dimension?" Sam asked.

"Another reality! Yes." Marion replied. "Only people who have been there and returned to our world can see the Faery here."

"Right." Angela nodded. "Umm, why are the fairies abducting people?"

"Mmm. There is much theory and little fact, dear." Marion replied. "We know they only take firstborn sons and daughters, just like Rumpelstiltskin did. Personally, I think they're taken to Avalon to service Oberon, the King of the Faery."

"Dean, Angie? Did you service Oberon, King of the Fairies?" Sam asked, earning an eye roll from Angela.

"Marion." Dean cleared his throat. "Um. Let's say fairies are real, okay? What can we do about them?"

"Sorry?" Marion frowned.

"How can we…" Dean trailed off.

"Interact with them." Marion finished.

"Yes, yes." Dean nodded. "Forcefully interact."

"Well, if you want to win a faery's favor, leave a bowl of fresh cream." Marion smiled. "They love cream."

"Okay." Dean nodded. "And, and, more forcefully?"

"Ohhh." Marion nodded. "All Faery hate iron and the dark Faery burn when touched with silver." She explained. "What else…Oh! You can spill sugar or salt in front of them. No matter how powerful, the Faery must stoop to count each grain."

"Well, alright." Angela nodded. "That's…Wow! A lot to absorb. Thank you." She smiled.

"Oh, oh, stay!" Marion urged. "Finish your tea."

Dean looked around. "I gotta say, I, I love the feel—it's uh, it's…"

"It's like Sedona, Arizona, crapped in here," Sam said.

"Cute-a-riffic!" Dean smiled. "Is what it is."

Sam looked down at his cup. "Do you have bigger cups?"

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were walking outside.

"God, is it on me?" Dean asked. "I feel like I've got the crazy on me."

"No." Sam shook his head. "You did sit in some glitter, though."

"This makes me want to believe in UFO's again," Angela said.

"Doesn't really give us the next move, I grant you that," Sam commented. "We can always put the call out to Bobby."

Sam, Dean, and Angela saw Mr. Brennan buying a flat of cream.

"Hey. Isn't that the watch guy?" Angela asked.

"Huh. They love cream." Sam said.

~/~\~

At Brennan's Watchworks, Sam, Dean, and Angela watched Brennan carry the cream into the store.

Angela looked up at Sam. "Alright, you stick with half and half, and Dean and I will go check out his store." She instructed. "And for the love of God, no hippie chicks."

~/~\~

Dean broke into the back door of Brennan's Watchworks. Dean and Angela snuck inside and saw brownies making watches. They snuck back out.

~/~\~

Sam was at a bar watching Mr. Brennan. Suddenly his phone rang.

"Yeah?" Sam asked into the phone.

 _"Freaking full of Keeblers over here, man."_ Dean's voice came through the phone. _"Just full of 'em."_

"What?" Sam asked, his brows furrowing together.

 _"It's like the story with the shoe guy and all the elves,"_ Dean said. _"Hey, you think Brennan made a deal with a bunch of fairies?"_

"Lemme get back to you," Sam said before hanging up. Sam approached Mr. Brennan at the bar. "So, Mr. Brennan. Hello again."

"Leave me alone." Mr. Brennan grumbled.

"Did I ever mention how beautiful your work is?" Sam asked.

Mr. Brennan looked confused. "What?"

"The watches." Sam clarified. "Just stunning. What I can't figure out is how one man can put out that much product. I mean, hell! If I didn't know better, I'd say you have a bunch of elves working for you." He explained. "Except I do know better, and you have a bunch of elves working for you."

"You're insane." Mr. Brennan said.

"So, tell me," Sam replied. "How does a father decide to trade his son for a bunch of watchers? I mean, I assume you have a soul so what's your excuse?"

"You don't understand." Mr. Brennan mumbled. "It wasn't like that."

"Then how was it?" Sam asked.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela walked along the sidewalk. They saw the man in the red cap from the diner standing across the street, staring at them again. Dean and Angela snuck away.

~/~\~

"I supported my family for 30 years making those watches." Mr. Brennan said. "It's the only thing I know how to do. Parkinson's. Was losing my hands. I was losing everything." He explained. "My grandmother, she always used to say that they were real. She told me all of these stories when I was a kid about how to summon them, how to get favors from them."

"So you learned how to work a spell," Sam said.

"I mean, honestly, I doubted it would even work." Mr. Brennan shrugged. "I was just desperate. But she left me this book, so I did the ceremony in my back office two months ago, and this man appeared and said he was a leprechaun."

"A _leprechaun,_ " Sam repeated.

"I asked him just to cure my hands, but he said he would do even better." Mr. Brennan explained. "He would make me more successful than I had ever been. He told me he'd bring a crew of workers, that I could save my business, save my name."

"In exchange for?" Sam pressed.

"He just wanted a place for them to rest, to take the fruit and fat of the land." Mr. Brennan said. "I said yes. I wasn't thinking."

"And the fruit and the fat was?" Sam raised a brow.

"My firstborn. Not just mine. There have been others." Mr. Brennan replied. "They're not stopping. They're not going to stop."

"There's gotta be a way to reverse the spell," Sam said.

"There is." Mr. Brennan replied. "But the book is in a safe in my shop. They won't let me near it. It's been a nightmare."

"You can see the fairies?" Sam asked.

"Yes." Mr. Brennan nodded.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were walking down the sidewalk, trying to avoid the man in the red cap. They ducked into an alley and the man followed. Dean and Angela turned a corner and flattened themselves against a wall. Dean launched out and tackled a little person.

"Wha-?" the little person groaned. "Help! Help!"

"Oh no," Angela muttered.

"Little fairy!" Dean yelled. "What do you want, you fairy? Huh? Huh? Fairy!"

Angela noticed a little girl staring at them. "Oh God no," she said. "Haha! He's just kidding, sweetie!"

~/~\~

Sam and Mr. Brennan turned a corner and were walking down the same street the Dean and Angela were on. Sam was trying to call both Dean and Angela.

"Don't worry, Brennan," Sam assured. "We can do this. My brother and my friend and I are gonna cover you while you reverse the ritual."

Sam saw Dean and Angela being handcuffed and arrested. There was a small crowd of onlookers.

"Dean! Angie!" Sam called. "What happened?"

"Sam…Hey!" Angela replied as she was thrown into the back of the police car.

"What am I supposed to do?" Sam asked.

"Fight the fairies," Dean said as he was shoved into the police car. "You fight those fairies. Fight the fairies!"

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were in a jail cell.

"I'm just trying to understand exactly what kind of hate crime this even was." The Sheriff said.

"It wasn't a hate crime," Angela assured.

"I mean, if this gentleman were a full-sized homosexual, would that be okay with you?" The Sheriff raised a brow.

Dean sighed. "We don't hate any size person or any size…gay…guy."

"He's not gay as it happens." The Sheriff said. "But! He is the district attorney for Tipton County. Runs a tight ship, tell you what."

"I'd say he's done well for himself, considering his…" Dean stopped himself when the Sheriff and Angela glared at him. "Considering these tough economic times."

The sheriff shook his head. "Son, you are all kinds of messed up." He said before he left.

~/~\~

Sam and Mr. Brennan snuck into the store through the back door.

"Are they here?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, but it's alright." Mr. Brennan assured. "Greenhats like tequila." He added as he snuck over to the safe and grabbed the spellbook. "Iich sha-hayt. Uh keeya shun, augus small un sorashun, augus phooetek en shia, en rache connecsha…"

The leprechaun came up and suddenly stabbed Mr. Brennan in the back.

"You!" Sam glared. "You're the leprechaun?"

"Indeed I am." Wayne Whitaker smiled. "Sorry about the mess, but your friend here went back on his deal."

"Well, you weren't very clear with him on the terms," Sam replied.

Wayne shrugged. "I told him there was a price. Once we come, we come to stay."

"So you take firstborns and then what?" Sam asked. "You just sit back and watch while they cover the abductions for you with all that crazy UFO crap? Which you help encourage, naturally. Nice con. But, your cover's blown now, 'Wayne'."

"Blown? To whom?" Wayne smirked. "Brennan's dead. Your brother and friend? Heh. They're marked. Been to the ranch. They're ours now."

"Yeah. Well. Then there's me." Sam replied.

"You?" Wayne laughed. "But you can only see me if I let you." He said before he disappeared.

"True, but you'll have to get near me eventually, and I have very good reflexes." Sam retorted.

The leprechaun reappeared. "You're not like the rest of them, are you?"

"Nope." Sam narrowed his eyes.

"I could see it right off," Wayne smirked. "You're missing a certain piece, right in the center, ain't you?"

"Says who?" Sam asked.

"We fairy folk? We're all about energy." Wayne replied. "And the human soul gives off a certain perfume. Your soul is far away. But not completely out of reach."

"Is that so?" Sam raised a brow.

"Sam, I can get it back for you." Wayne offered. "For a price."

"That's adorable." Sam scoffed. "It's locked in a box with the devil."

"Your devil. Not mine." Wayne replied.

"There's no freaking way a leprechaun can do what angels can't." Sam scoffed.

"Angels." Wayne laughed. "Please. I'm talking about real magic, sonny. From my side of the fence. Got a way of getting in back doors."

"So you're my blue fairy?" Sam asked. "You can make me a real boy again?"

"When you wish upon a star," Wayne smirked.

"Yeah. I got a wish." Sam replied, shooting Wayne.

Wayne groaned in pain. "Iron! Painful, but not a deal-breaker."

Sam shot Wayne again.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela, dejected, sat on a cot in the jail cell. The man in the red cap appeared next to the cot. The man laughed, patted Dean on the back, and proceeded to beat him up. Angela tried to pry the man off of Dean, but the leprechaun threw her into the wall.

~/~\~

Sam and Wayne were at fisticuffs.

"Come on, lad," Wayne smirked. "You've already taken your best shot."

Sam nodded. "You're right. I'm done shootin'. So do me a favor, and count this." He replied as he emptied a vial of salt onto the floor.

"Oh no." Wayne groaned.

"Why didn't I do that earlier?" Sam asked himself.

Wayne started counting the salt while Sam finished the spell.

"Kum savaltcha…" Sam chanted.

"One…three…ass," Wayne grumbled.

"Ar noyang, kun enna, ret augus…" Sam continued.

"Dammit," Wayne mumbled.

"Kkuum doinsha and getta wabasach shul!" Sam finished.

The fairies disappeared from the watchmaker's shop and from the jail.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were by the Impala. Dean offered Sam a beer, and he refused it. Dean had a beer and Angela grabbed one from the cooler.

"So, here's to the tiniest DA," Dean said. "At least they're dropping the charges."

"Little big man." Sam nodded.

"We were wondering something," Dean said.

"Yeah?" Sam asked.

"You think Lucky Charms really could have, you know, returned soul to sender?" Dean asked.

"Come on." Sam shook his head. "It's crazy to think. He did talk a good game though."

"You said no," Angela said. "Why?"

"It was a deal." Sam shrugged. "When's a deal ever been a good thing?"

"We're just trying to figure out how it works in there." Dean defended.

"I do still have all my brain cells," Sam replied. "If anything, my brain works better now."

Angela took a sip of her beer and nodded. "Just making sure that's where your head's at. That you're not having second thoughts about getting your soul back."

"Oh," Sam replied.

She looked up at Sam and raised a brow. "You're not, are you?"

"No." Sam shrugged.

Angela looked unconvinced. "Mm-hmm." She hummed. "Well, I'm ready to hit the road if you guys are." She said before she got into the Impala.

Dean nodded and cast a suspicious glance at Sam before he too got into the Impala.


	19. Caged Heat Part 1

Sam, Dean, and Angela drove up in the Impala to where a couple of demons were waiting in front of a black SUV. They were bringing a prisoner.

"You're late." The demon said.

"Traffic was a bitch." Dean sassed.

"One rugaru," Sam said to the demon.

"Where's Crowley?" Angela asked.

"Banging a hooker in a sweet spot called None Of Your Business, sweetheart." The demon replied.

"Oh, look at that, boys!" Angela exclaimed. "Demon trying to be funny."

"Oh, is that what just happened?" Sam raised a brow.

"Night, girls." The demon said before turning toward the SUV.

"Wait, wait. Hold up, hold up." Dean stopped him. "Are we ever gonna see Crowley again or is he just gonna keep sending his demon extras to pick up his laundry?"

"I'm sorry." The demon replied. "I know you're speaking, I see your lips moving, but I can't understand what you're saying, 'cause I don't speak Little Bitch." He said before he got into the SUV with the rest of the demons.

"Remember when we used to gank demons?" Dean asked.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela returned to their current base, a run-down house they were squatting in.

"No, screw it, I'm done." Dean snapped.

"Calm down." Sam sighed.

"We've been going on these freaking Crowley runs and it's not getting us anywhere," Angela said, clearly frustrated.

"I mean, the only thing that's really changed, is now I need a daily rape shower," Dean grumbled.

"Okay, you guys are right. Let's go with Plan B. Oh yeah, we don't have one." Sam replied. "So till we do, sorry dude, stock up on soap-on-a-rope. If you guys wanna get my soul back, that's what we gotta do, okay?"

Angela clenched her jaw slightly. "Yeah…" she muttered. "Do you even want it back?"

"I'm working for Crowley, aren't I?" Sam retorted.

Dean went to pour himself a drink, turning his back on Sam and Angela. "Yeah, well, who says he's gonna hold up his end, you know? It is Crowley. You ever think of that? Right?" He turned around to find Sam and Angela gone out of sight. "Sam! Angie!" Dean called. When he didn't get an answer, he drew his gun and started looking for them, only to find them lying unconscious in the next room. A demon came up behind Dean and knocked him out as well.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela came to, bound to a few chairs.

"What now?" Dean asked.

Angela glared up at Meg. "I think I know who you can ask."

"Evil bitch." Dean groaned.

"Keep sweet talking me, this could go a whole new direction," Meg smirked.

"Meg." Dean sighed. "I've been dying to see you again."

"Well, here I am, big boy." She replied. "So, what should we do now?"

"How about I rip you to shreds?" Dean suggested.

"Kinky, I like it." Meg purred. "A little Q&A first, if you don't mind. Now, where's your boss?"

"You think we're working for somebody?" Angela asked.

"I happen to know for a fact you've been juggling Crowley's orphans," Meg replied. "Now where is he?"

"Don't know. Don't care." Sam rolled his eyes.

"You've been working his beat for months," Meg replied.

"Doesn't mean we get face time." Angela scoffed.

Meg straddled Dean's lap. "Where's he taking all those things you snatch up for him?" She asked. "I bet you an all-day sucker that's where his majesty's holed up." She smirked. When Dean didn't answer, she held a knife to his throat. "Okay, officially over the foreplay. Satisfy me, or I please myself!"

Sam just laughed.

"Something funny, Sam?" Dean raised a brow.

"Yeah, Meg," Sam replied.

"Really?" Dean scoffed. "'Cause where I'm sitting…"

"Don't worry," Sam assured. "She can't do jack squat. She's totally screwed."

"Sam, not helping!" Dean exclaimed.

"Look at her, Dean." Sam pointed out. "She's furious. If she could kill you, she'd've done it by now. She's running."

"Am I?" Meg raised a brow.

"Judging by the level of flop sweat on all of you, yeah," Sam replied. "Which means you're running from Crowley. Which makes sense. Crowley would want to hunt down all the Lucifer loyalists now that he's the big man on campus."

"How would you know?" Meg asked.

"It's what I would do." Sam shrugged. "She can't kill us." He said to Dean and Angela. "She needs us to get her to Crowley so she can stick that knife in his neck. It's him or her."

"Well, I hope you both lose," Angela said. "But good luck."

"So, you know what you gotta do now, right?" Sam asked Meg.

Meg sighed. "Let me guess. You're gonna tell me."

"Work with us," Sam replied.

Dean looked incredulous. "Whoa, what?"

"We'll hand you Crowley with a bow," Sam assured. "One condition: we come with you and you help us wring a little something out of him before you hack him to bits."

Meg eyed Sam. "What?"

"Doesn't matter," Sam replied. "Question is, can you get us what we need?"

Meg scoffed. "I apprenticed under Alastair in Hell just like Dean. So, Dean, can I make Crowley do whatever I want?"

Dean sighed and nodded. "Yeah, she can."

"It's a deal then." Meg smiled. "Hugs and puppies all around!"

Angela rolled her eyes. "You gonna untie us?"

"Please," Meg smirked. "Don't pretend you guys don't enjoy it." She added before she turned to leave.

One of Meg's demon companions walked up to Angela, staring intently at her.

Angela raised a brow. "You gonna kiss me, or are you just gonna stand there?"

"Come on!" Meg called over her shoulder to the demon.

~/~\~

"What are you doing?" Dean glared.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"He means, what the hell are you doing?!" Angela snapped.

"Look, you guys wanted to screw over Crowley. Merry Christmas." Sam shrugged. "What?"

"You wanna work with a demon again?" Dean scoffed.

"We're working with demons now." Sam countered. "I'm doing this because I wanna stop."

"She killed Ellen and Jo!" Angela exclaimed angrily.

"I know." Sam sighed. "But you can't look at this emotionally, Angie. We need her."

Angela could practically feel her blood pressure rising. "The hell we do!" She snapped. "Meg is gonna screw us over so fast—

"Of course." Sam agreed. "Which is why we'll screw her first. Meg and her little posse are dead the second we're done with them."

"Yeah, if they don't kill us." Dean scoffed.

"They won't," Sam assured. "'Cause we're bringing insurance."

~/~\~

Sam stood outside and sighed. "Castiel, we need you." He prayed. "It's important. Cas, we found something. It's this gold box." He explained. "Apparently Nazis were after it back in the day, someone opened it and their face melted off. I think it's—ready for this—the Ark of the Covenant. Yeah. So…"

A flutter of wings could be heard and Castiel appeared. "I'm here, Sam. Where is the box?"

Sam scoffed. "I can't believe you fell for that. That was the plot of _Raiders_ , idiot."

"I'm mid-battle, Sam," Castiel replied, clearly frustrated.

"I could give a rat's ass about your little pissing match with Raphael." Sam retorted.

"Listen to me, Sam—

"No, you listen!" Sam interrupted. "I don't care what you're dealing with up in Heaven. You owe me."

Castiel sighed. "You may not care, but believe me—

"I'm sorry, do you think we're here to talk this out?" Sam raised a brow.

Castiel clenched his jaw slightly. "Sam, I can't just—

"If you don't help us, I will hunt you down and kill you." Sam threatened.

Castiel glared and walked up to Sam. "Will you, _boy?"_ He sneered. "How?"

"I don't know yet," Sam replied. "But I will look until I find out, and I don't sleep."

Castiel paused for a moment. "You need help, Sam."

"I need _your_ help," Sam replied.

~/~\~

Sam and Castiel entered the house.

"You actually showed," Dean said, shock lacing his voice. "Wow, Sam, I owe you a chicken dinner."

"What happened?" Angela asked curiously.

"No big." Sam shrugged with a smile. "This is what friends do for each other."

~/~\~

Castiel was working on a ritual to locate Crowley. He sighed in defeat. "It's not working. Crowley's hidden from me."

"Well, looks like we're gonna have to try this the hard way," Dean replied.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Castiel were searching Samuel's study for clues. Samuel cleared his throat.

"Can I help you?" Samuel raised a brow. "What do you want?"

"We wanna know where Crowley is," Angela replied.

"If I even knew, why would I tell you?" Samuel scoffed.

"Because you're family," Dean replied.

"Samuel, I'm gonna get my soul back." Sam cut in.

"Who says you can get it back?" Samuel asked.

"Me." Sam narrowed his eyes.

Samuel sighed deeply. "Look, I'd like to help, but I'm sorry."

"It's your grandson's soul," Dean argued.

"I can't," Samuel replied vaguely.

"What is wrong with you? Do you wanna work for Crowley?" Dean glared. "Cas, can you give us a minute?" He added before Castiel disappeared. "Sam and I are your blood. But if you don't wanna help us I can't make you. But I just gotta know why. What is Crowley holding over you? You owe us that."

Samuel paused and took out a picture of Mary as a teenager. He handed it to Dean.

Dean looked down at the picture. "Mom?"

"He's gonna give her back to me," Samuel said.

"Crowley's gonna bring mom back from the dead?" Dean raised a brow.

"You tell me you don't want her back." Samuel challenged.

Dean looked back at the photograph and stayed silent.

"You know, the one difference between us: you know how to live without her," Samuel said.

"Look, I know how you feel," Dean assured.

"No, you don't," Samuel replied harshly. "She's my daughter, and she's _dead,_ and I can do something about it."

"Do you really think Crowley is gonna make good here?" Dean asked.

"He brought Sam back! And me!" Samuel argued.

Dean shook his head. "Trust me, don't go down that road."

"What are you saying?" Samuel narrowed his eyes.

"I'm saying, stop trying," Dean replied. "It's gonna go nowhere good. Samuel, I know we've had our differences, but I'm your grandson and I'm telling you that this is wrong for so many reasons."

"You hypocrite!" Samuel yelled.

"I'm asking you to learn from our mistakes!" Dean pleaded. "Doing this, this is how the bad guy gets us every time! It's our Achilles' heel. Apparently, it runs in the family. We will figure something else out. Okay?"

Samuel shook his head. "I'm sorry, Dean, But I—

"Fine." Dean cut him off. "Bring her back. But what are you gonna tell her? You gonna tell her you made a deal with a demon? That you wouldn't help out her sons?"

"That's enough!" Samuel roared. "Just get out."

~/~\~

Castiel was watching something on Angela's laptop while she sat next to him and paged through a book. Sam and Dean were at a table, doing research.

"It's very complex," Castiel said suddenly, still staring at the laptop.

"Mm-hmm." Dean hummed, not paying attention.

Angela glanced over at what Castiel was watching and went wide-eyed. "Cas, what the hell?!"

Castiel looked at Angela, his brows furrowed in confusion. "If the pizza man truly loves this babysitter, why does he keep slapping her rear?" He asked. "Perhaps she's done something wrong."

Dean's head snapped up. "You're watching _porn?_ Why?"

"It was there." Castiel shrugged.

Angela pursed her lips and sighed. "To answer your question, Cas…sometimes, people like to be...spanked during intercourse." She explained delicately.

Castiel ended up looking more confused. "I don't understand. Why would someone experience pleasure from pain?"

Angela opened her mouth to say something but was cut off. "You don't watch porn in a room full of people!" Dean exclaimed. "And you don't talk about it. Just turn it off, man."

Castiel paused and looked down at his lap and then looked at Angela. "Angela, something is wrong…"

Angela glanced at him and quickly turned away. "Oh my God. He has a boner." She deadpanned.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Angela quickly went and opened it to reveal Samuel.

"Samuel." She greeted.

"This is what you three do?" Samuel raised a brow. "Sit around watching pornos with angels?"

"We're not supposed to talk about it," Castiel said, still watching the screen.

Dean sighed. "Why are you here, Samuel?"

"It's what Mary would want," Samuel said. "Now, this is what I know. Whatever we bag ends up there." He added, showing them a map with a location marked. "That's where he tortures 'em, interrogates 'em, I don't really know. Only been outside the places, but it's a death trap. Nothing gets in that Crowley doesn't want in and nothing gets out, period."

"Well, thanks," Angela replied.

"I wish you wouldn't do this." Samuel sighed.

"Come with us," Sam suggested.

Samuel shook his head. "I may be soft, but I'm not suicidal."

~/~\~

Meg and her posse were waiting outside of the house. "Remember me?" Meg asked Castiel. "I sure remember you, Clarence."

"Why are we working with these abominations?" Castiel asked.

"Keep talking dirty," Meg smirked. "Makes my meat suit all dewy."

Angela rolled her eyes. "Alright, simmer down. We know where Crowley is."

"Great." Meg nodded. "Do tell."

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, tell you, so you can just leave us for dead."

"You three have serious abandonment issues, you know that?" Meg retorted.

"We'll show you, alright?" Sam replied. "But we're all going together."

"What, I'm just supposed to trust you?" Meg raised a brow.

Sam shook his head. "No, you're not that stupid. Give me the knife for a minute."

"No, I'm not that stupid." Meg scoffed.

"Do you want us to take you to Crowley or not?" Sam asked.

Meg handed Ruby's knife over to Sam. He used it to kill the demon next to Meg.

"You saw him," Sam said. "He was more interested in killing us than getting the job done. I just did all of us a favor."

"Hey!" Meg snapped. "You just gonna keep that?"

Sam held up the knife and glared. "You took this from us. I'm taking it back. We leave in one hour."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were packing up for the hunt.

"You know, Cas, you could help," Dean said.

"I'm ambivalent about what we're attempting," Castiel replied.

"Well, breaking into monster Gitmo is not exactly a two-for-one in the champagne room." Dean shrugged.

Castiel sighed deeply. "I'm not sure retrieving Sam's soul is wise."

Angela frowned and looked at Castiel. "Wait, what? Why?"

"I want him to survive," Castiel replied.

"Cas, what are you talking about?" Angela asked.

"Sam's soul has been locked in the cage with Michael, Lucifer, and Sophia for more than a year," Castiel explained. "And they have nothing to do but take their frustrations out on him. You understand? If we try to force that mutilated thing down Sam's gullet, we have no idea what will happen. It could be catastrophic."

"You mean he dies," Dean said.

"I mean, he doesn't. Paralysis. Insanity. Psychic pain so profound that he's locked inside himself for the rest of his life." Castiel replied.

"B-but you're saying you don't know anything for sure," Angela said, hope lacing her voice. "I mean, he could be fine, right?"

"He could be, yes." Castiel nodded.

"Okay then." Angela nodded.

"But I sincerely doubt it, Angela." Castiel sighed deeply.

"Well, if he's not fine, then you fix him," Angela suggested. "Please, Cas." Her voice cracked slightly.

"Angela, I wouldn't know where to begin." Castiel shook his head.

"Then you figure it out, Cas," Dean replied. "Come on. I mean, the guy's a frigging replicant. He _needs_ his soul. Look, we get it back. And if there are complications, then we will figure out a way to deal with those, too."

Castiel sighed and nodded. "Of course." He replied as Dean turned away. "Or we fail, and Sam suffers horrifically."

Angela shook her head and turned her back to Castiel. She grabbed a book off of the table and hurled it at the wall. "Dammit." She muttered tears in her eyes. "Dammit!" She shouted angrily.

Dean rushed over to Angela and hugged her tightly, trying to calm her down. "Kid, it's gonna be okay." He assured. "I promise, alright?" He murmured before he looked at Castiel. "We're gonna fix this."

Sam stood hidden in the shadows, having overheard the entire conversation.


	20. Caged Heat Part 2

Dean, Sam, Angela, and Castiel stood outside of Crowley's monster prison.

"Seems pretty quiet," Dean said.

Castiel shook his head. "It's not, I can feel it. Meet me at the side door." He replied before disappearing.

~/~\~

Castiel opened the door to let Dean, Sam, Angela, and the demons inside the prison.

"This all seem a little too easy?" Angela asked.

"Way too easy." Sam agreed.

~/~\~

"Is someone there?" Brigitta asked from her cell. "Please. Please help me. You gotta get me out of here. Please! You gotta get me out of here."

Dean and Angela paused at her cell.

"Come on, guys," Sam said. "We gotta move."

~/~\~

Castiel stopped walking. "Wait."

"What is it?" Angela asked.

Dogs could be heard barking in the distance.

"Dammit." Meg sighed. "Here come the guards."

"Hellhounds," Dean said. "Go!"

They ran for the nearest set of doors, wedged them shut with a piece of wood, and drew a salt line. The two demons who accompanied Meg didn't make it and were ripped apart by the hellhounds on the other side.

Angela shook her head. "I knew this was a trap!"

"What do you want, a cupcake?" Meg sassed.

Sam finished drawing the salt line and stood. "Alright, that should keep them out."

"Not for long," Dean replied. "How many of them are there?"

"Lots," Meg replied. "I'll be pulling for you…from Cleveland."

"What?!" Dean snapped.

"I didn't know this was gonna happen." Meg shrugged. "Bright side: them chewing up my meat suit ought to buy you a few seconds. Seacrest out." She added as she tried to vacate her host body. She frowned when nothing happened.

"A spell, I think, from Crowley," Castiel said. "Within these walls, you're locked inside your body."

Dean smirked. "Karma's a bitch, bitch." He said. He frowned as Sam took out Ruby's knife. "What are you doing, gonna slash at thin air until you hit something?"

Sam held the knife out to Meg. "You can see them. Take this. Hold them off. It's our best shot."

"At Crowley," Meg replied. "Take it and go. You kill the smarmy dick. I'll hold off the dogs."

"How're you gonna do that?" Angela asked.

Meg grabbed Castiel by the neck and kissed him while removing his angel blade. Castiel pushed her up against the wall and returned the kiss with interest.

Meg looked shocked as Castiel broke the kiss. "What was that?"

"I learned that from the pizza man," Castiel replied.

"Well, A plus for you." Meg nodded. "I feel so… _clean._ Okay, gotta go."

"Whoa, whoa, is that gonna work on a hellhound?" Dean asked.

"Well, we're about to find out," Meg replied. "Run."

Dean, Sam, Angela, and Castiel took off. Meg faced the shaking doors and prepared to fight the hounds.

~/~\~

"Can't see jack," Dean muttered as they walked through the stairwell.

Suddenly there was a blinding light and Castiel vanished. Samuel stood, his hand on an angel banishing sigil.

"Cas?!" Angela exclaimed.

Sam narrowed his eyes when he noticed Samuel. "Angie. Dean."

Dean glared at Samuel. "You sold us out?" He asked. Three demons appeared behind the hunters and grabbed them. "Damn you, Samuel." Dean shook his head.

"Yes," Crowley said suddenly. "And I have to say, best purchase I've made since Dick Cheyney."

"Hiya, Crowley," Angela said. "How's tricks?"

"Above your pay grade, Bambi," Crowley replied. "Been working. Big things. Alas, you'll be too dead to participate."

"Really?" Angela raised a brow.

"Shame I have to do away with you three." Crowley sighed. "Rather enjoyed your indentured servitude."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were thrown into one cell and Sam was thrown into another one.

"Sam?" Dean called.

"Yeah," Sam replied.

Dean looked at the ground. "Angie and I are standing in pee."

Sam looked at the floor of his cell. "Consider yourselves lucky…"

"Yikes," Angela replied. "That sucks."

A little window in the door was opened from the outside by Samuel.

Angela narrowed her eyes. "You want forgiveness, find a priest."

"I just want you guys to understand." Samuel sighed.

"Oh, we understand…that you're a liar," Dean replied. "You talk about putting blood first, which is funny 'cause you sound just like my dad. The difference is, he actually did."

"I am putting blood first." Samuel defended.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh, gimme a break!"

"Mary's my blood!" Samuel snapped. "My daughter! Don't come at me like I sold you out, Dean. You sold out your own _mother._ It was her or Sam, and you chose Sam, plain and simple."

"Oh, that is such crap!" Dean shouted. "You wanna know what really happened? You chose a demon over your own family!"

"See it how you want. I don't even know what Sam is. And you want me to protect him?" Samuel raised a brow. "And you and Angela? You're strangers. No, really, tell me: what exactly are you supposed to be to me?"

Angela squared her shoulders and walked up to the door. "I'll tell you who we are. We're the people that you _never_ want to see again." She replied. "Because we'll make it out of here, trust me. And the next time you see us, we'll be there to kill you."

"Don't think there's gonna be a next time," Samuel replied.

Angela smirked darkly. "Whatever gets you through the night, Samuel."

Two demons working for Crowley dragged Dean and Angela out of their cell and down the corridor while Samuel just stood by. Sam had heard the entire interaction.

~/~\~

Sam was pacing in his cell, then squatted down and bit into his arm at the wrist, drawing blood.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were pushed into a room with blood and guts all over it. Then the demons brought in two ghouls.

"Enjoy." One of the demons smirked.

"Alright, alright," Dean said. "Shawshank's a great flick, but let's skip the shower scene, huh?"

The ghoul smirked at his companion. "Look, breakfast."

~/~\~

Two demons entered Sam's cell.

Sam was crouching by the wall furthest from the door. "What did you do with my brother and Angie?"

"Oh, you'll find out." One of the demons smirked. "You're about to join them."

They got caught in a devil's trap that Sam had painted on the ceiling using his own blood. Sam smiled wickedly, blood on his teeth.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were fighting the ghouls.

"I hate ghouls!" Angela exclaimed.

Sam ran down a hallway, looking for Dean and Angela. "Dean?! Angie?!"

"Let me go, son of a bitch!" Dean yelled as he fought one of the ghouls.

"Dean! Angie!" Sam exclaimed. He arrived just in time to save them from getting eaten. He staked on the ghouls with a metal bar ripped off the wall.

~/~\~

"You know, you're sticking that thing in all the wrong places," Meg commented.

"Really?" The demon possessing Christian asked. "You sure were squealing."

"Knock yourself out. It's a host body." Meg replied. "Some girl from Cheboygan, moved to LA to be an actress. It's probably not even the worst thing that ever happened to her."

Meg screamed as the demon continued torturing her with Ruby's knife, then suddenly she started laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" The demon asked, confused.

Dean appeared behind him, grabbed the knife out of his hand, and stabbed him in the back.

"Dean Winchester's behind you, meat sack," Meg smirked.

"We should go," Sam instructed.

Angela quickly untied Meg.

~/~\~

Crowley arrived at the room where Meg was being tortured and found Dean sounding the alarm. "You should be ghoul scat by now." He frowned before he was knocked down from behind. "Really necessary? I just had this dry cleaned." He scoffed. He sighed as he looked up to see a devil's trap. "So, to what do I owe the reach-around?"

Meg entered with a smirk on her face. "Crowley."

"Whore." Crowley greeted.

"Okay, you know what," Meg muttered. She used her demonic powers to injure Crowley internally, making him cough up blood. "The best torturers never get their hands dirty. Sam wants a word with you."

Crowley sighed. "What can I do for you, Sam?"

"You know damn well." Sam glared. "I want my soul back."

"And here I thought you just grew some balls, Sam." Meg sassed.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Well?" He asked Crowley.

"No," Crowley said simply.

"Meg?" Angela asked.

Meg tortured Crowley some more.

"I can't," Crowley said.

"Can't or won't?" Sam raised a brow.

"I said 'can't'. I meant 'can't', you mop-headed lumberjack." Crowley snapped. "I was lucky to get this much of you out. Going back in there for the sloppy bits? No way. I'm good, but those two in there? Forget it."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Sam asked.

"You don't." Crowley shrugged. "But it doesn't change anything. I'm telling you. Sam, why do you want the thing back? Satan's got one juicy source of entertainment in there. I'd swallow a rag off a bathhouse floor before I took that soul. Unless you want to be a drooling mess."

Meg sighed. "Sam, I hate to say it, but he's right."

"Yeah, right." Sam nodded. "I get it. Thanks. He's all yours."

"Whoa, what are you, crazy?" Angela frowned. "He's our only hope."

"Angie, you heard him," Sam replied. "He can't get it. He's useless."

Dean handed Meg the knife. She went to enter the devil's trap.

Meg looked back at the three hunters. "You'll let me back out, right?" She asked When they nodded she stepped into the devil's trap. "This is for Lucifer, you pompous little—

Crowley took her down in an instant and uses the knife to break the devil's trap. He pinned Sam, Dean, and Angela to the wall using his demonic powers. "That's better. You don't know torture, you little insect."

Castiel reappeared suddenly. "Leave them alone."

"Castiel, haven't seen you all season," Crowley replied. "You the cavalry now?"

"Put the knife down," Castiel demanded.

"You that bossy in Heaven?" Crowley raised a brow. "Hear you're losing out to Raphael. The whole affair makes Vietnam look like a roller derby. Hey, what's in the gift bag?"

Castiel took out a skull from the bag he was holding. "You are."

Crowley frowned. "Not possible."

"You didn't hide your bones as well as you should have," Castiel replied.

Crowley clapped mockingly. "Cookie for you."

"Can you restore Sam's soul or not?" Castiel asked.

Crowley sighed. "If I could help out in any other—

"Answer him!" Angela snapped.

"I can't." Crowley shook his head.

Castiel incinerated Crowley's bones and he burst into flames. Meg vanished into thin air.

"Well, she's smart, I'll give her that," Dean said. "I was gonna kill her too." He admitted. "Of course, I'd have given you an hour with her first." He smirked at Castiel.

Castiel frowned, clearly confused. "Why would I want that?"

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Castiel stood by the Impala.

"Thanks, Cas," Angela said. "Hadn't it been for you—

"Crowley was right." Castiel interrupted. "It's not going well for me upstairs."

Dean sighed. "If there's anything we can do—

"There isn't." Castiel shook his head. "I wish circumstances were different. Much of the time I'd rather be here."

"Look, Cas, we know you got a steaming pile on your plate," Angela replied. "There's no need for apologies. We're your friends."

Castiel nodded and looked at Sam. "Listen, Sam, we'll find another way."

"You really wanna help?" Sam asked. "Prison full of monsters. Can't just leave 'em, can't let 'em go."

Castiel nodded. "I understand." He replied before disappearing.

Angela looked up at Sam. "He's right, you know?"

"About?" Sam asked.

"About your soul," Angela replied. "We'll figure something else out."

Sam shook his head. "No, we won't."

Dean scoffed. "Why, because Crowley said—

"You heard what Crowley said," Sam replied. "And I heard what Cas said. Putting this thing back in would smash me to bits."

"We don't know that for sure," Dean argued.

"You know what?" Sam replied angrily. "When angels and demons agree on something, call me nuts, I pay attention."

"You say this _now?"_ Dean asked. "After we practically died trying to—

"Exactly!" Sam cut him off. "We almost got ourselves killed. I mean, how many times do we risk our asses for this? Enough's enough."

Angela shook her head. "Sam—

"I don't think I want it back." Sam cut her off.

Angela froze in shock at his words. "You don't…you don't know what you're saying, Sam."

Sam shook his head. "No, I'm saying something you don't like." He replied. "You obviously care, a lot. And that's going to be your downfall, Angela." He explained. "You're letting your emotions get in the way of logic. It's weak… _you're weak._ " He added. "I think maybe I'm better off without my soul."

Angela looked up at him, tears in her eyes. She was at a loss for words. "You're wrong." She murmured. "Y-you don't know how wrong you are…"

"I'm not sure about that," Sam replied. He turned and started to walk away.

Angela felt her legs shake and she collapsed onto the ground. "No." She breathed. "No, no, no…" She sobbed.

"Sam, don't walk away!" Dean yelled. "Sam! Sam!" He shouted. Dean knelt down next to Angela and held her. "Kiddo—

"I've lost him, Dean." She sobbed into Dean's jacket. "I'm never getting m-my Sammy b-back. He's gone!" She cried.

Dean looked at her sympathetically. He didn't know what to say…hell, what could he say to make things better? "I'm going to fix this." He assured. "I swear to God." He whispered. But truthfully, he didn't know who he was trying to convince more. Angela or himself.


	21. Appointment in Samarra Part 1

Dean stood in front of a grocery store. He looked at the address on a piece of paper and sighed. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

~/~\~

Dean walked up to a store clerk. "Hi, I'm, uh, looking for…"

"Follow all the way back." The employee instructed. "All the way back."

Dean went to the back of the store and walked up a series of steps to an apartment. He knocked on the door.

Dr. Robert opened the door. "Dean Winchester?"

"You must be Dr. Robert?" Dean asked.

"Son, I stitched up your daddy more times than I can count, let me tell you." Dr. Robert replied. "Oh, it's good to see you. 'Course, that was ages ago, back when, uh, I still had my medical license." He laughed. "Right this way."

Dean looked around the dingy apartment. "Well, you know, I'm, uh, I'm no germ freak, but…"

"Rent's cheap." Dr. Robert shrugged as they entered his 'office'. "Eva, my assistant." He gestured to the woman in the room.

"Hi." Dean waved.

Dr. Robert patted the bed. "Hop right up."

"N-now, you—you have, uh, done this a lot?" Dean asked nervously.

"Oh, many, many times." Dr. Robert assured.

Dean nodded. "And your…success rate?"

"Oh, excellent—almost seventy-five percent." Dr. Robert replied. "So, should we get the, uh, preliminaries out of the way?"

"Yeah. Uh, yeah, right." Dean nodded as he handed Dr. Robert an envelope of money.

"Ah. Oh." Robert replied as he took the envelope.

"Oh. Uh…So…listen, if, uh, something…" Dean trailed off.

"Goes wrong?" Dr. Robert raised a brow.

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "Uh…Would you mail this for me, please?" He asked, handing Dr. Robert two envelopes. One was addressed to Ben and the other to Angela.

"Sure." Dr. Robert nodded. "Would've thought you had something for your brother, Sam."

Dean shook his head. "If I don't make it back, nothing I say is gonna mean a damn thing to him." He replied as Eva inserted an IV needle. "Ow!" He exclaimed.

Eva rolled her eyes. "Don't be a baby."

"You know, a little bedside manner would be nice," Dean remarked.

"Are we ready? Hmm?" Dr. Robert asked. "You've got three minutes."

After a few moments, Dean flatlined. "No pulse, no sinus rhythm," Eva said.

"He's dead." Dr. Robert replied.

Dean walked up and saw his dead body. "Good times." He muttered. He walked back out to the grocery store. "This better work. Messorum evocco qui me tetigit."

Tessa suddenly appeared in front of him. "Dean?" She asked, her brows furrowing together. "What the hell?"

"What do you know?" Dean raised his eyebrows. "It worked."

"I was in Sudan!" Tessa exclaimed. "What's with yanking me ov—wait, why are you dead?"

"Tessa, I need a favor," Dean replied.

Tessa rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're kidding." She scoffed. "You _died_ to ask me—

"Tell your boss I need to talk to him." Dean cut her off.

"No." Tessa shook her head.

"Please?" Dean asked.

Tessa shook her head. "Where do you get the nerve?"

"Desperate times." Dean shrugged weakly.

"He calls us," Tessa replied. "We don't call him."

"You make an exception!" Dean pleaded.

"I can't," Tessa replied.

"Can't or won't?!" Dean snapped.

"Both!" Tessa replied angrily.

"Alright, Tessa." Death said as he appeared. "Thank you very much. Hello, Dean."

~/~\~

"I'm busy, Dean." Death sighed. "Talk fast."

"I have something of yours," Dean replied.

"You mean my ring?" Death raised a brow. "I recall loaning you that temporarily."

Dean squared his shoulders slightly. "Well, if you want it back—

"I'm sorry, you assume that I don't know where you've hidden it." Death interrupted. "Now we've established you have hubris but no leverage, what is it you want?"

"Lucifer's cage," Dean replied. "I figure you're one of the few people that can actually jailbreak it."

"Do you?" Death asked.

"Sam's soul is stuck in that box," Dean replied.

"I've heard." Death nodded.

"And our brother is trapped in there, too," Dean added. "Michael rode him in."

Death sighed. "Dean quit shuffling and deal."

"I want you to get 'em both out," Dean replied.

"Hmm." Death hummed. "Pick one."

Dean looked shocked. "What?!"

"Sam's soul or Adam's." Death replied.

"But—

"As a rule. I don't bring people back." Death interrupted. "I might make an exception once, not twice. So…Pick."

Dean didn't even have to think about it. "Sam." He replied. "His soul has been in there for a year, and I understand that it's…Damaged."

"Try flayed to the raw nerve." Death scoffed slightly.

"Well, is there any way that you could, uh, I don't know, hack the hell part off?" Dean asked.

"Dean, Dean, Dean." Death shook his head. "What do you think the soul is? Some pie you can slice? The soul can be bludgeoned, tortured, but never broken. Not even by me."

"Well, there's got to be something." Dean tried.

"Maybe." Death replied. "Can't erase Sam's hell, but I can…put it behind a wall, if you will."

"A wall," Dean repeated.

"In his mind—a damn to hold back the tide." Death explained. "Nasty, those memories. You don't want to know what they'll do to him. Believe me."

"Okay, uh, a wall." Dean nodded. "Sounds good."

"But it's not permanent." Tessa chimed in.

"She's right." Death agreed. "Nothing lasts forever. Well, I do, but…"

Dean nodded. "Okay, so that's the choice—Sam with no soul, or Sam with some drywall that if or when it collapses, he's…done?"

"Yes." Death replied.

"Do it," Dean said quickly.

"I never said I'd do it." Death clarified.

Dean's brows furrowed in confusion. "Well, then what the hell have we been talking about?"

"Your prize." Death replied. "If you win the wager."

"Great." Dean nodded, rolling his eyes. "What's the bet?"

"Don't roll your eyes, Dean. It's impolite." Death chastised. "Now, when you fetch my ring, put in on."

"What?" Dean frowned.

Death shrugged. "I want you to be me for one day."

"Are you serious?" Dean asked.

"No, I'm being incredibly sarcastic." Death sassed. "Take the ring off before the 24 hours are up, and you lose. No soul for Sam. Clear?"

"Okay. Yes." Dean agreed. "But…But why?"

"Simple, Dean. Because—

~/~\~

Dean gasped as he woke up on the table. He sat up quickly and looked around frantically.

"Oh, thank Moses." Dr. Robert sighed in relief.

"You couldn't have given me five more seconds?" Dean asked.

"Son, you were gone for seven minutes." Dr. Robert replied.

"I was?" Dean asked.

"Mm-hmm." Dr. Robert hummed. "I thought for sure death had you by the twins."

~/~\~

"You what?!" Sam asked angrily.

"Just hear me out," Dean replied.

"I heard Cas and Crowley when they said it would either kill me or turn me to jello, Dean!" Sam yelled. "I heard enough!"

"Death said he can put up a wall," Dean explained.

"A wall?" Sam asked, raising a brow.

"Yes, yes, a wall—that—that, basically, you wouldn't remember Hell," Dean replied.

"Really?" Sam asked, his voice full of skepticism.

"Really," Dean assured.

"For good? Like a cure?" Sam asked.

"No, it's not a cure." Dean sighed. "It…He said it could last a lifetime."

"Great." Sam scoffed. "So, playing pretty fast and loose with my life here, don't you think, Dean?"

"He's trying to save your life." Angela cut in.

"Exactly! It's _my_ life! It's my life, it's my soul." Sam replied angrily. "And it sure as hell ain't your heads that are gonna explode when this whole scheme goes sideways!"

"Just curious," Bobby commented. "I presume Death's not doing this out of the goodness of his heart. So what's your half of the deal?" He asked. Dean just gave an evasive look. "I'm sorry. I didn't get that." Bobby said.

"I have to wear the ring for a day," Dean answered.

Angela's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why the hell would he want you to do that?"

"Get his rocks off." Dean shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm doing it."

Sam moved to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" Angela asked suspiciously.

"Look, I hear you guys, alright?" Sam sighed. "I get it. I just need a minute to wrap my head around it, alright?"

~/~\~

Sam was in Bobby's yard. He looked at a small hole in the ground, worriedly.

Dean held up Death's ring. "Looking for this?"

"Just taking a walk." Sam lied.

"Sam." Dean sighed. "I'm your brother. Angie's the love of your life. We're not gonna let you get hurt. We know what we're doing here."

"What if you're wrong?" Sam asked.

"We won't let it go wrong," Angela assured.

Sam sighed deeply. "Fine."

"Fine?" Angela asked hopefully. "So, you're—

"So, I'm trusting you guys here," Sam replied. "Barely."

"You sure?" Dean asked.

"You guys are the ones with a compass, right?" Sam shrugged. "Just don't mess it up."

"I won't," Dean assured. He looked at Bobby and Angela. "Watch him."

Angela hugged Dean tightly. "Good luck, Dean." She murmured.

~/~\~

"So, is this the part where you guys pull a gun on me and lock me in the panic room?" Sam asked.

"Do we have to?" Bobby raised a brow.

"No." Sam shook his head. "I guess Dean's got to do what he's got to do."

"Guess we all do, Sam," Angela replied.

~/~\~

Dean stood in Bobby's yard. "Well, here goes everything." He muttered before he slipped on the ring.

~/~\~

"Wow." Tessa scoffed. "They'll just let any slack-jawed haircut be Death these days."

"Well, you're all charm today, aren't you?" Dean sassed.

"Let's be clear so that we get through this with a minimum of screw-up." Tessa said. "I don't like this. And right now, I'm not crazy about you, either."

"This is your boss's idea, not mine." Dean defended.

"True." Tessa nodded. "But you have a long history of throwing a wrench in everything, so let's just stick to the rules. Deal?"

"And the rules are?" Dean asked.

"For the next 24 hours, you kill everyone whose number's up." She replied.

"Well, how am I supposed to know who to…" Dean trailed off.

"Kill?" Tessa raised a brow.

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"I have a list," Tessa replied.

"Let me see," Dean demanded.

"No." Tessa shook her head. "You touch them, they die, I reap them. Are we clear?"

"Yeah, I guess," Dean replied.

"Remove the ring, you lose. Slack off, you lose." Tessa said seriously. "Got it?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded in understanding.

"Don't mess this up." She warned. "It's not my job to be your damn babysitter."

~/~\~

Sam was in an abandoned warehouse performing a summoning ritual.

"Sam Winchester…" Balthazar said as he appeared. "This had better be good."

~/~\~

"Why here's one for the list of dumbest things ever." Balthazar scoffed. "Summon the angel who wants to kill you."

"Desperate times." Sam shrugged. "I need your help, Balthazar."

"Interesting…Since last time we met, you wanted to—what was it?" He asked. "Oh, yes, yes—fry my wings 'extra crispy'."

"Well, that was a misunderstanding," Sam replied.

"Some misunderstanding!" Balthazar exclaimed.

Sam sighed. "I need some advice."

"Advice?" Balthazar raised a brow.

"Angel advice," Sam said vaguely.

"Well, then go ask your boyfriend." Balthazar sassed.

"Cas can't help me," Sam replied. "I need to know if there's a spell or a weapon, anything that can keep a soul out—forever."

This piqued Balthazar's interest. "Oh. What's going on, Sam?"

"It's for me," Sam replied.

"Well. The plot thickens." Balthazar replied. "Where's your soul, Sam? Good God, no. It's not still…it is."

"My brother found a way to put it back in me." Sam sighed. "I don't want it."

"No, you don't." Balthazar agreed. "No, no, 'cause Michael, Sophia, and Lucy are hate-banging it as we speak."

"Can you help me?" Sam asked.

"Oh, yes." Balthazar nodded. "The question is, will I?"

Sam sighed deeply. "Set your terms."

Balthazar thought for a moment. "I'll do it for free."

Sam looked confused. "Free? Why?"

Balthazar shrugged. "Well, you seem like a capable young man. I'd love to have you in my debt." He replied. "And I have to say, I'm not a fan of your brother or Angela, so screwing them would delight me. Anyway, to business. The spell, yes. So, finding the ingredients are easy enough, but, uh, there's one tricky part, however."

"Okay." Sam nodded.

"You need to scar your vessel," Balthazar replied.

"Meaning what?" Sam asked.

"Meaning something that so pollutes it, it renders it uninhabitable," Balthazar explained. "Calls for something very specific."

"Great." Sam nodded. "What?"

"Uxoricide," Balthazar answered. "To kill your spouse or partner."

~/~\~

"Just so you know, when people die, they might have questions for you," Tessa explained. "Well, you know, not you, but death."

"You mean like, 'how did Betty White outlast me?'" Dean asked.

"'What's it all mean?' is popular," Tessa replied.

"And am I just gonna magically know?" Dean raised a brow.

"No." Tessa shook her head.

"Then what the hell am I supposed to say?" Dean asked. "Oh, come on, give me something."

"Suck it up," Tessa replied harshly. "Comes with the gig."

~/~\~

Tessa and Dean walked into a convenience store. A robber pointed a gun at a cashier, who was standing behind the register with his son.

"Come on!" The robber yelled. "Come on! Let's go!"

"They can't hear you. They can't see you." Tessa said. "Just let this play out."

Dean's brows furrowed. "Well, who am I taking?"

"Wait and see," Tessa replied.

"Which one?" Dean pressed.

"You want me to shoot the kid?!" The robber yelled. "Hurry up! Oh, you think I'm kidding? And don't forget the drawer under the register. Come on, move it! Let's go!"

The cashier pushed a bag off the counter onto the floor, and while the robber bent down to pick it up, the cashier pulled a gun out of the drawer under the register.

"You idiot." The robber growled.

The cashier shot the robber, who fell to the ground, dying. Dean stood watching.

"Hello?" Tessa raised a brow. "Tick tock."

"He's in agonizing pain, right?" Dean asked.

"Uh, yes," Tessa replied obviously.

Dean nodded. "Give me a minute." He replied. After a few moments, he touched the robber, whose soul appeared behind him.

The robber looked at his dead body and then at Dean. "Why?"

"Mostly because you're a dick," Dean replied. "Enjoy the ride down, pal. Trust me—sauna gets hot."

Tessa walked out with the robber's soul.

"That wasn't so hard," Dean muttered.

~/~\~

Tessa and Dean approached a larger man who was eating pizza.

"Call me crazy, but this smells like a heart attack," Dean said. The man clutched his chest and fell forward. "Lucky guess," Dean muttered before he touched the man.

The man looked at his dead body and then at Dean. "Why?"

"You think maybe it was the extra cheese?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." The man sighed. "It was good, though."

Dean nodded. "Is that a local place?"

"Dean." Tessa sighed.

"Right." Dean nodded. "Uh, time to go, man. Sorry."

"Wait." The man said. "Will you tell me what it all means?"

Dean paused. "Everything is dust in the wind."

The man frowned. "That's it?! A Kansas song?!"

"Sorry." Tessa smiled apologetically. "He's new."

~/~\~

Sam entered Bobby's house.

"Woke up and you were gone," Bobby said.

"Where you been, Sam?" Angela asked.

"Just driving around." Sam shrugged. "No biggie."

The three of them sat down to drink and play poker.

~/~\~

Tessa gestured to the hospital room. "After you, boss."

Dean looked into the hospital room to see a father reading to his sick daughter.

"That's you when we went to California." The father explained. "You were six then."

"God." The girl muttered. "We should burn that."

"You were adorable." The man assured.

Dean sighed. "The dad or the kid?"

"Kid," Tessa replied.

"Come on." Dean groaned. "What is she, 13?"

"She's 12." Tessa corrected.

"And that's…?" Hillary asked while pointing to a photo.

"That's your mom…When she was your age."

"This guy have any other family?" Dean asked.

Tessa shook her head. "No, not really."

"Well, this is awesome," Dean said sarcastically.

"What, you thought it was all gonna be armed robbers and heart attacks waiting to happen?" Tessa asked.

"She's 12!" Dean snapped.

"With a serious heart condition," Tessa explained.

"Who's next on the list?" Dean asked.

"Dean, you have to take her," Tessa replied.

"Says who?" Dean challenged.

"Death," Tessa replied.

"I'm Death." Dean argued.

Tessa sighed deeply. "You know what I mean."

"Well, who tells him?" Dean asked.

"I don't know." Tessa shrugged. "It just is. It's destiny."

"Give me a break." Dean scoffed. "I've spent my whole life fighting that crap. There's no such thing as destiny, just like there was no apocalypse—just a bunch of suck-up mooks who didn't want us human slaves asking questions. Well, I say the little girl lives."

Tessa paused for a moment. "Do you know what's amazing? You don't actually buy a word you're saying."

Dean clenched his jaw. "Yes, I do."

"Oh, really?" Tessa asked skeptically. "So, all the times that you messed with life and death, they just worked out for you? It was just a beach party every time, huh?"

"Well, I know this much—I'm Death, she's 12, and she's not dying today," Dean replied.

~/~\~

"Medically, I can't explain it." Dr. Owens said.

"So her heart just healed?" The father asked.

"Couple of times in your career, you see something you just got to call a miracle." Dr. Owens smiled. "All I know is I won't have to operate."

"Thank you." The father said tearfully. "Thank you, Doctor." He added before he looked at Hillary. "You did it. You're gonna be okay."

The nurse was on the phone. "Hey, hon, guess what? I'm leaving. No, surgery was canceled."

"Come on," Tessa told Dean. "We have more work here."

"Okay." The nurse smiled. "See you soon."

~/~\~

"Pair of aces," Sam said.

"Here, I'll get some more beer," Angela said as she stood up. She left the living room and walked into the kitchen.

"You know what, I'll grab some food," Sam suggested. He followed Angela to the kitchen and grabbed a nearby wrench and went to knock out Angela.

Angela grabbed the bat that she knew Bobby hid near the fridge and knocked Sam out before he could hit her with the wrench. "Nice try, Sam." She muttered. She ran to the living room. "Bobby, we need rope, now."

Bobby's brows furrowed and he stood up. He opened a nearby drawer and grabbed some rope. He tossed it to Angela, who went back to the kitchen only to find that Sam was gone.

"Crap," Angela muttered. "Bobby! Sam's gone!" She called.


	22. Appointment in Samarra Part 2

Bobby and Angela hid in a closet and Sam began to chop through the closet door with an axe. Bobby stepped in front of Angela.

"Don't say, 'Here's Johnny'." Bobby sneered.

"Bobby, you don't have to be a part of this. Angela's the one I want." Sam replied as he continued chopping through the door. "I have to do this, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, if you want to get to Angie you're gonna have to go through me first," Bobby warned. He pushed a button and a trap door opened directly under Sam.

Sam, now in the basement took a crowbar to the door.

"Reinforced steel core, titanium kick plate," Bobby said. "Get comfy."

Angela swallowed thickly. "You want to explain what this is about, Sam?"

"I just, uh…I have to do this, Angie," Sam replied vaguely.

"Says who?" She asked.

"If you guys shove that soul back in me, think how bad that could really be," Sam explained. "I can't let it happen. I mean, it's not like I want to kill you…either of you."

"So…What, demon deal, or something?" Bobby asked.

"Spell." Sam corrected.

"You're making a mistake, Sam," Angela replied. "You don't have to do this."

"I'm trying to survive," Sam argued.

"Dean's got a way to make it safe," Bobby replied.

Sam scoffed. "Oh, yeah, what, some wall inside my head that _maybe_ stays up? Come on."

"If it works—

"Yeah, what if it doesn't?" Sam cut Bobby off. "Dean and Angela don't care about me. They just care about Sammy, burning in hell. They'll kill me to get that other guy back."

"Look, I…I know how scary it is," Angela replied. "But…you know what's scarier? You right now, Sam." Her voice cracked slightly. "You're not in your right head, Sam. You're not giving us much choice here." She added. She frowned when there was no response. "Sam?" She asked. She noticed that he was gone. "Crap."

Bobby opened the door and he and Angela headed downstairs. "I'm not gonna let you hurt Angie, boy," Bobby warned.

Angela saw that Sam had escaped through the vent in the panic room ceiling. "Bobby." She said, pointing to the vent. "We should split up. Cover more ground."

Bobby shook his head. "He's unpredictable. We need to stick together."

"Bobby, if he gets to both of us, we're screwed." She argued.

"Angie, he's going to do everything he can to kill you," Bobby replied. "This is borderline suicidal."

Angela shrugged slightly. "Maybe. But just…trust me on this, Bobby."

~/~\~

Dean looked at Tessa and raised a brow. "Oh, what, you gonna give me the silent treatment now? Really?"

"Dammit!" Tessa exclaimed. "I knew it!"

"What?" Dean asked.

An EMT wheeled in a gurney. "Code 500, ER. Code 500, ER."

"What's going on?" An orderly asked.

"Fractured spine, internal bleeding." The EMT replied. "Had a heart attack in the ambulance."

"We need Dr. Owens." The orderly said.

Another orderly shook their head. "He just left."

"Call Owens." The first orderly instructed. "Tell him to turn around."

Dean was suddenly hit with a realization. "Wait, that's…"

"You let the girl live," Tessa replied. "The nurse goes home early, gets in a crash she wouldn't have. And she needs the heart surgeon, and where is he?"

"You knew this would happen?" Dean asked.

"No." Tessa shook her head. "Just knew that you knocked over a domino."

"She's in cardiac arrest." One doctor said.

"Take her," Tessa commanded.

Dean's brows furrowed. "What?"

"Clear!" Another doctor yelled.

"She's not on the list!" Dean argued.

"Everything you do has consequences," Tessa replied. "Do you want to set off another chain reaction?"

"She's got nothing to do with this!" Dean exclaimed.

"Well, too bad, Dean," Tessa said harshly. "You put on the ring. Now do your damn job."

"Clear!" One of the doctors yelled.

Dean paused for a moment. "Fine." He replied as he touched Jolene.

"She's crashing again. We're losing her. Clear!" A doctor said.

Jolene looked at her dead body. "Is that…Am I…"

"Yes." Tessa nodded. "I'm sorry."

"But I'm…" Jolene started.

"So young." Tessa finished.

"Yeah." Jolene murmured.

"Actually, you were supposed to live for many decades," Tessa explained. "Have kids, grandkids."

Jolene's brows furrowed. "Then why?"

Tessa looked at Dean as she spoke to Jolene. "Because he screwed up."

Jolene turned to Dean. "You did this to me?"

"Come on, Jolene." Tessa put her hand on Jolene's arm. "It's time."

"Wait." Dean tried. "I'm sorry."

Jolene's husband ran in. "Where is she? Where's my wife? Where is she?" He asked frantically. He let out a sob when he saw her body. "No! No!"

~/~\~

"A real vacation?" Hillary asked excitedly.

"Yeah." Her father nodded. "I can take you to this one café, show you where I met your mom."

"You saw what happened to the nurse," Tessa said softly. "Go and kill that girl, Dean. I tried to tell you what you already know. She's disrupting the natural order by being alive. You of all people know what that means. Chaos and sadness will follow her for the rest of her life. We tried it your way."

Dean watched as Jolene's husband walked drunkenly through the parking lot. "Give me a minute."

Tessa's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

~/~\~

Angela noticed a trail of blood leading to Bobby's shed. Angela quickly sent Bobby a text and moved towards the shed cautiously. She held her gun up as she entered the shed, but Sam came up behind her and knocked her out.

~/~\~

Dean was in Jolene's husband's car. "Come on, man, pull the car over. You're gonna get yourself killed." He said. "What are you doing? Pull the damn car over! Stop the car. Come on, stop the car."

The man couldn't see or hear Dean.

 _"Route 10 is still shut down…"_ The woman on the radio said.

"What are you doing?!" Dean yelled. "Stop the car!"

 _"From an earlier fatal crash."_ The woman explained. _"All traffic has to exit…"_

"Son of a bitch!" Dean snapped. He pulled off the ring and yanked the steering wheel to the side.

"Aah!" Jolene's husband exclaimed in surprise.

"Hit the brakes!" Dean instructed.

The car crashed into a building. Jolene's husband was slumped forward against the steering wheel.

Dean got out of the car and looked around. "Dammit. Tessa!"

~/~\~

Angela woke up groggily and looked around. "Sam…" She mumbled as she patted herself down. "Dammit." She muttered when she realized Sam had taken all her weapons. She stood up shakily and looked around. "Sam, you don't have to do this…"

Sam stepped out from the shadows holding a knife. "Angie, I'm sorry, but I do." He replied, stalking towards her. "I can't let you guys put that soul back in me."

She kept backing up as he walked towards her. She silently cursed when her back hit the wall. "Sam, please." She pleaded as he raised the knife.

Angela swiftly brought her knee to his lower abdomen, causing him to drop the knife. As Sam bent over in pain she attempted to get around him. He grabbed her shirt and shoved her against the wall roughly.

"If you and Dean would just listen to me…" He snarled. "I wouldn't have to do this." He said as brought his fist to her face.

Angela grunted and thrashed against his hold. "I'm not giving up on you, Sam." 

Sam threw her across the shed as if she weighed nothing. She yelled in pain as her body hit a nearby pole. She looked over and saw Sam's knife. She weakly crawled towards it and as she reached for it Sam slammed his foot down on her wrist. Angela yelled in pain as she felt her wrist break.

Sam snarled as he hauled her up by her shirt. "You and I both know how this is gonna end." He said as he brought his fist to her face repeatedly.

She squirmed and cried out in pain. "S-Sam, please." She mumbled. She kicked him in the stomach and fell to the ground as he doubled over in pain.

Angela attempted to scramble away, but he grabbed her hair and hoisted her up. He pinned her arms behind her using one hand and he used the other to bash her forehead into a nearby wall. Her vision started to get spotty and she groaned in pain.

"Sam." She mumbled groggily. "Sam it's gonna be okay. We're…We're go-gonna be o-okay."

Sam just threw her toward the ground and when she tried to sit up he kicked her in the ribs. She let out a pained cry and screwed her eyes shut. This is how she was going to die…She was sure of it.

~/~\~

"You there?! Tessa?!" Dean yelled to no one. "I lost! Sam's screwed! You happy?! Least you can do is zap my ass back home! Hello?! I lost the best."

Tessa appeared suddenly as Dean slipped the ring back on. "Sorry about your brother."

Dean shook his head. "Let's just go."

"Go where Dean?" Tessa asked. "We're done. What are we—

~/~\~

Dean and Tessa appeared in Hillary's hospital room.

"Unfinished business," Dean said.

"It's over." Tessa sighed. "You took the ring off. Anyway, thought you wanted the girl to skate by."

Dean shook his head. "No one really skates by. Do they?" he replied grimly. "You should say your goodbyes, man." He told Hillary's father.

Her father woke up suddenly. "Hey, honey." He smiled sleepily. "I must have dozed off." He added. He frowned as his daughter started crashing. "Hillary? Somebody!"

Hillary frowned as she looked at her body. "I'm dead?"

"I'm sorry," Dean said sincerely.

"But what about my dad?" she asked, looking up at Dean.

"He'll be fine," Dean assured.

"Really?" Hillary asked hopefully.

Dean sighed. "I have no idea."

"I-I can't just leave him." Hillary stammered. "It's not fair!"

"I know," Dean replied softly.

"Well, then why?" Hillary asked.

"Because…There's sort of a—a natural order to things," Dean explained.

"Natural order is stupid." Hillary huffed.

Dean nodded in agreement. "Well, I agree with you there."

~/~\~

Angela opened her eyes slightly to look up at Sam. "I love you, Sam. I-I'm always going to love you." She murmured.

Sam straddled Angela and put his hands around her throat. She struggled for air as he started to strangle her. "I have to do this," Sam said. "I'm sorry."

Angela's vision started to get spotty and she could feel herself losing consciousness. 

"Hi, Sam," Dean said suddenly as he and Bobby came up behind Sam. "I'm back." He added as he knocked Sam out.

~/~\~

Dean looked at Bobby. "Get him locked up in the panic room." He instructed. He knelt down next to Angela and checked her pulse. "She's alive." He sighed in relief. He gently picked Angela up. "It's okay, kid. I'm gonna get you to the hospital."

Dean gingerly put Angela in the backseat of the Impala as Bobby locked Sam up in the panic room. Dean got into the driver's seat and started the car before he drove off. Every now and then he looked back to make sure that Angela was okay.

Dean made it to the local hospital in record time. He parked the car and quickly got out before he picked up Angela, who was still unconscious. He booked it to the ER.

~/~\~

"Help!" Dean yelled as he ran into the ER. "I need help!"

A few doctors quickly ran over and gingerly put Angela on a gurney.

"What happened?" asked one of the doctors as she looked up at Dean.

"U-uh…she was attacked," Dean replied. "Is she gonna be okay?" he asked as the doctors brought her to a nearby trauma room, Dean following close behind.

"Sir, I need you to wait outside." Another doctor instructed. "We'll keep you updated but right now we need to examine her."

Dean shook his head. "No…No I can't leave her. Please."

"Sir." One of the doctors replied. "You need to wait outside or in the waiting room so we can do our jobs effectively."

Dean swallowed thickly and reluctantly left the trauma room and went to the waiting room. He ran his hands over his face and sat down on one of the chairs. He pulled out his phone and called Bobby.

"Hey." Dean greeted when Bobby answered the phone.

 _"Hey. What's her status?"_ Bobby's voice came through the phone.

"The doctors are examining her now. She'll probably need some sort of surgery. Bobby, if she doesn't make it—

 _"She will."_ Bobby cut him off. _"She's a fighter."_

Dean nodded. "U-uh…How's Sam?"

 _"Unconscious,"_ Bobby replied.

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is…Is this what we're gonna have to do every time he goes crazy?" he asked. "Lock him up?"

Bobby sighed deeply. _"We'll find another way, Dean."_

"I don't know if we will," Dean said honestly. He frowned when Death appeared next to him. "I'll call you when I get an update." He said before hanging up. He looked at Death. "Here to gloat?"

Death shook his head and pointed to his ring. "Heavier than it looks, isn't it? Sometimes you just want the thing off. But you know that."

"Look…I think you know that I flunked," Dean replied. "So there. Oh, and by the way, I, uh…sucked at being you. Really screwed up the whole natural order thing. But I'm sure you knew about that too."

"So, if you could go back, would you simply kill the little girl? No fuss, no stomping your feet?" Death asked.

Dean nodded. "Knowing what I know now, yeah."

"I'm surprised to hear that." Death admitted. "Surprised and glad."

"Yeah, well, don't get excited," Dean replied. "I would have saved the nurse, okay? That's it."

"I think it's a little more than that. Today, you got a hard look behind the curtain." Death replied. "Wrecking the natural order's not quite such fun when you have to mop up the mess, is it? This is hard for you, Dean. You throw away your life because you've come to assume that it'll bounce right back into your lap." He explained. "But the human soul is not a rubber ball. It's vulnerable, impermanent, but stronger than you know. And more valuable than you can imagine. So…I think you've learned something today."

"Want to know what I think?" Dean asked. "I think you knew that I wouldn't last a day."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Death replied.

"I lost. Fine." Dean said. "But at least have the balls to admit that it was rigged from the jump."

"Most people speak to me with more respect." Death commented.

"I didn't mean—

"We're done here. It's been lovely." Death said as he stood up. "But now I'm going to go to hell to get Sam's soul. And for the record, I think Angela will pull through."

Dean looked up at him, relief in his eyes. "Why would you do that for me?"

"I wouldn't do it for you. You, your brother, and Angela keep coming back. You're an affront to the balance of the universe, and you cause disruption on a global scale." Death replied.

"I apologize for that," Dean said.

"But you have use." Death admitted. "Right now, you're digging at something. The intrepid detective. I want you to keep digging, Dean."

Dean raised a brow. "So you're just gonna be cryptic, or…"

"It's about the souls." Death replied. "You'll understand when you need to."

"Wait—with Sam…Is this wall thing really gonna work?" Dean asked.

"Call it seventy-five percent." Death answered.

"Thank you," Dean said sincerely before Death disappeared.

A young-looking male doctor, most likely a resident, walked up to Dean. "Hi, I-I have news about the woman you brought in."

Dean looked up at the doctor. "Okay…Uh, lay it on me."

"She's going into surgery now. She has internal bleeding around the abdomen. She also has a few fractured ribs, a broken wrist, some bruising, and a mild concussion."

"Is she gonna be okay?" Dean asked, his brows furrowed in concern.

"As long as the surgery doesn't have a major complication, then yes." The doctor nodded. "I'll be sure to keep you updated."

"Thank you." Dean nodded before the doctor left.

~/~\~

Death appeared in Bobby's basement and walked past Bobby and into the panic room.

Sam, now awake, thrashed against the cot. "Get away from me!" he yelled as Death approached him. "Don't. Don't!"

"Now, Sam, I'm gonna put a barrier inside your mind." Death said.

Sam shook his head. "No, don't touch me."

"It might feel a little…Itchy." Death explained. "Do me a favor— _don't scratch the wall._ Trust me—you're not gonna like what happens."

"Please," Sam begged. "Don't do this."

Death took Sam's soul out of his bag and went to put it back inside Sam.

"No, no!" Sam yelled. "You don't know! You don't know what'll happen to me! Bobby, please! No! No! No!"

Death ignored Sam's please and put his soul back in him. Sam yelled in pain as his soul was put back in.

~/~\~

Dean had fallen asleep in the uncomfortable chair. He woke up to his phone ringing and he quickly answered it. "Hello?"

 _"Hey."_ Bobby's voice came through the phone. _"Sam got his soul back."_

Dean nodded. "Good, good. How's he doing?"

 _"Still unconscious. Don't know if that's a good or bad sign."_ Bobby replied. _"How's it going over there?"_

"I managed to get some shut-eye for a few hours," Dean replied. "Angie's still in surgery. But Death said…He said that he thinks she'll pull through." He added as the male doctor from earlier approached him. "Gotta go. The doc is gonna update me." He said before he hung up.

"The surgery went fine." The doctor said. "She's in recovery right now, but she isn't awake yet."

"Can I visit her?" Dean asked hopefully. "She's a friend of mine."

The doctor nodded. "Right this way. It shouldn't take long for her to wake up. We're going to wake her up every hour or so to make sure her concussion isn't more severe than we thought." He explained as he led Dean to Angela's room.

Dean nodded. "How long will it take for her to wake up?"

"We used general anesthesia, so it should take about forty-five minutes to an hour." The doctor explained as they stopped in front of her room. "Here we are."

"Thank you," Dean replied before he walked into the room. He closed the door behind him and sat on the chair next to the hospital bed.

~/~\~

Dean looked at Angela and his heart practically broke at the sight. "Kiddo, I'm so glad you're okay." He whispered. "Now you just gotta wake up. You gotta wake up because Sam got his soul back. You hear me? Sammy's got his soul back." He murmured as he took one of her hands in his. "Just…Just give me a sign that you're gonna wake up soon. Please."

Dean watched her for a few moments and sighed deeply when nothing happened. He was about to let go of her hand when suddenly he felt a light squeeze. His head snapped up and he looked at Angela with wide eyes.

"D-Did you just…" Dean trailed off. He felt another squeeze and he felt a grin forming on his face. "I'm gonna stay here till you wake up, okay? I promise."

~/~\~

Dean managed to fall asleep again, but only for an hour or so. When he woke up he groggily looked at Angela and noticed that her eyes were opened slightly.

"Angie?" Dean asked hopefully.

Angela weakly looked over at him and cleared her throat. "D-Dean…"

Dean grabbed her some water and put it to her lips. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long." She replied after taking a drink.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Dean frowned slightly.

"You looked tired." Angela shrugged. "You needed sleep."

Dean smiled a small smile. "Even in a hospital, you're still putting others before yourself." He replied. "I-I don't know if you heard me, but Sam got his soul back."

Angela gasped slightly and winced in pain. "Really?"

Dean nodded. "As far as I know he's still unconscious, but…I have a feeling he's going to be okay."

Angela felt tears form in her eyes. "My Sammy." She murmured sleepily.

A female nurse knocked on the door and cracked it open to poke her head in. "Sir, visiting hours are over, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Dean looked over at the woman and nodded. "Okay. Sorry 'bout that." He replied. He looked at Angela as he stood up. "I'll be back tomorrow, kid. And maybe Sam will be with me." He smiled slightly.

Angela smiled a small, weak smile. "See ya, Dean." She yawned. She closed her eyes after Dean left and drifted off to sleep.


	23. Like a Virgin Part 1

Angela sat up in her hospital bed as she ate some green jello. "So, Sam's _still_ not awake?" she asked. "It's been almost ten days…"

Dean sat on the chair next to her bed and sighed deeply. "Yeah, I'm gonna see if Cas can come by and check on him. If or when he wakes up…are you gonna be okay seeing him?"

Angela nodded as she ate another spoonful of jello. "Mm-hmm." She hummed. "Because I'll be looking into the eyes of my Sammy, not that soulless monster that wanted to kill me."

Dean nodded in understanding. "Alright, I'm gonna go back to Bobby's and check on Sam." He said. "You gonna be okay here?"

Angela nodded. "Yup. Just keep me updated, okay?"

"Of course," Dean replied as he got up. "See ya later, kiddo." He added as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Bye, Dean." She said softly before he walked out of the room.

~/~\~

Dean now stood in Bobby's basement with folded arms.

"How's Angie doing?" Bobby asked.

"Good." Dean nodded. "The doctors say that she's recovering nicely."

Bobby nodded. Suddenly, the panic room door opened and Castiel came out, rolling down his sleeves. Sam lied on a cot in the panic room, hooked up to an IV.

"Well?" Dean asked.

"His soul is in place," Castiel replied.

"Is he ever gonna wake up?" Dean asked.

Castiel sighed. "I'm not a human doctor, Dean."

"Could you take a guess?" Dean raised a brow.

"Okay." Castiel nodded. "Probably not."

"Oh, well, don't sugarcoat it." Dean scoffed.

"I'm sorry, Dean, but I warned you not to put that thing back inside him," Castiel replied.

"What was I supposed to do?" Dean defended. "Let T-1000 walk around, hope he doesn't open fire?"

"Let me tell you what his soul felt like when I touched it." Castiel started. "Like it had been skinned alive, Dean. If you wanted to kill Sam, you should have done it outright."

Dean looked around the basement. Castiel was gone and Sam was still sleeping.

~/~\~

Bobby and Dean were in the living room. Dean sat down at the desk across from Bobby and Bobby poured him a drink.

"Like my daddy always said, just 'cause it kills your liver don't mean it ain't medicine," Bobby said. "Sam still asleep?"

Dean took a drink and nodded. "Yeah."

"He'll wake up," Bobby assured.

"Yeah." Dean sighed, not quite believing it.

"Dean, he's been through how much?" Bobby asked. "Somehow he always bounced back."

"He's never been through this," Dean replied. He spotted the newspaper printout that Bobby was looking at. "Job?" Dean asked.

"Might be," Bobby replied as he passed over the printout.

"Can I help?" Dean asked. "Send me to the library? Anything?"

"Couple goes up in a light plane," Bobby explained. "Wreckage was just found in the woods."

"Couple of Buddy Hollys?" Dean asked. "Doesn't really seem like News of the Weird."

"Pilot was found 17 miles away, flambéed," Bobby explained. "Girl's just gone. No body, no nothing."

"Okay, I'm not changing the channel," Dean replied with interest.

"Dean," Sam said suddenly.

Dean set his glass down hard. Sam had entered the room. Dean turned to face him, then stood up.

"Sam?" Dean breathed.

Sam hugged Dean and then Bobby.

"Good to see you," Bobby said.

"Wait." Sam frowned. "I saw you-I-I felt Lucifer snap your neck."

"Well, Cas kind of—

Sam's eyes widened. "Cas is alive?"

"Yeah, Cas-Cas is fine," Dean assured. "Sam, are you okay?"

Sam looked around frantically. "Wait…Where's Angie?" He frowned.

Dean sighed. "Sammy, sit down."

"Dean. Where is she?" Sam asked as he reluctantly sat down. "She-she's not…"

"No." Dean cut him off quickly. "But she is in the hospital. She had some pretty bad injuries from a hunt gone wrong."

Sam's brows furrowed in concern. "Is she gonna be okay?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, yeah, she's recovering really well."

"I want to see her," Sam replied quickly.

"Okay, okay slow your roll, man," Dean said. "Let's get something in your stomach and then we'll see Angie, okay? She'll be excited to see you."

Sam reluctantly nodded. "Okay. Fine." He conceded. He fixed himself a sandwich and sat at the table.

"So, Sam…" Dean trailed off as Sam ate his sandwich.

"Yeah?" Sam raised a brow.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged. "The field. And then I fell."

"That's it?" Bobby cut in. "You really don't remember—

"Let's be glad." Dean cut him off. "Who wants to remember all that hell? Come on, let's see Angie."

Bobby sighed and gave Dean a look, which Dean ignored. The three of them piled into the Impala and Dean started to drive.

"How long was I gone?" Sam asked suddenly.

"About a year and a half," Dean replied.

"What?" Sam asked, his eyes going wide. "I was downstairs f—I don't remember anything. So, how'd I get back? Was it Cas?"

"Not exactly," Dean said vaguely.

"Dean, what did you do?" Sam sighed.

"Me and Death—

"Death?!" Sam cut him off. "The horseman?"

"I had leverage." Dean defended. "It's done."

"You sure?" Sam asked as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

"It's over. Slate's wiped." Dean assured as he parked the car.

"Well, isn't that just neat and clean?" Bobby grumbled as the three of them got out of the car.

Dean shot a glare at Bobby. "Yes, it is—for once."

"Is there anything else I should know?" Sam asked.

Dean hesitated slightly. "No."

~/~\~

The three men walked up to the front desk. Dean smiled at the nurse. "Hi, we're here to see Angela Morgan," Dean said.

The nurse typed something into the computer and nodded. "Alright, I'll take y'all to her room." She smiled sweetly as she stood up.

The nurse led them to Angela's room. They thanked her, and she left to go back to the front desk.

"Alright, let me go in there and talk to her before you come in," Dean told Sam.

Sam nodded, and Dean quietly opened the door. He walked into Angela's room and closed the door behind him.

"Hey, Angie." Dean smiled.

Angela sat up slightly when Dean entered the room. "Hey, Dean. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." He assured as he sat down. "So…Sam's awake, and he's actually outside the room right now."

Angela grinned and her eyes lit up. "Really?!"

Dean nodded. "However," he sighed. "He doesn't remember anything from the past year. He doesn't remember being soulless." He said softly.

Angela's brows furrowed slightly. "So he doesn't remember…almost killing me."

Dean just shook his head.

Angela sighed deeply. "Well, lucky him. At least he gets to forget..." She said, trying not to sound bitter.

"Are you going to be okay seeing him?" Dean asked seriously. "If not I can tell him that you're too tired."

Angela paused in thought. "Yeah." She nodded after a few moments. "Because the guy who could've killed me…that wasn't my Sam. To me, that guy is a completely different man than my Sam, aside from physical appearance."

Dean nodded. "Okay. Let me grab him, Bobby and I will give you some alone time." He smiled softly. He walked to the door and opened it for Sam. "Sammy, get in here and see your girl."

Sam quickly walked into the room and Dean walked out, closing the door behind him. Sam paused as he looked at Angela. Most of her wounds were healing fairly well, but there was still bruising. His heart practically broke at the sight.

"Angie…" Sam breathed as he carefully walked over to her bed. "What the hell happened, baby?"

Angela smiled slightly and tears formed in her eyes. "Hey, baby. We were hunting a wendigo. Didn't go as planned." She lied, almost not believing that Sam— _her Sam_ —was in front of her. She looked up into his eyes and noticed that they weren't empty, they were filled with genuine worry and love.

Sam sat down in the chair next to her bed and took her hand in his. "I'm so glad that you're okay. When I heard you were in the hospital...I-I thought the worst."

She nodded and smiled softly and squeezed his hand. "I could say the same for you, Sammy." She replied. She studied his face and wiped away a stray tear with her free hand. "I didn't think I'd get to see your face again."

Sam smiled and leaned down to kiss her softly. Angela kissed him back, and after a few moments, they both pulled away.

"Hmm." She hummed. "It's a shame that we can't celebrate like I'd like to." She smirked slightly.

Sam laughed slightly and nodded. "Well, it'll be worth the wait." He whispered.

Angela giggled and nodded. "Oh, hey, I do have good news!" she said excitedly. "The doctor said I can leave today. Obviously, I'll have to be on mandatory bed rest for a few weeks, but, I get to go home."

"Are you sure you're ready?" Sam asked, worry lacing his voice.

She nodded quickly. "More than ready. I've been in this hospital for almost ten days." She replied. "Can you just grab my discharge papers?"

Sam nodded and pressed a small peck on her lips and walked out of the room. Dean and Bobby walked in.

"Why's he in a rush?" Bobby asked curiously.

Angela fiddled with her blanket. "He's getting my discharge papers."

Dean frowned. "Discharge papers? Angie, you still have weeks to heal!"

"I know, but the doctor said I could go as long as I remain on bed rest." She replied. "I wanna go home and be with my family and my boyfriend."

Sam and Angela's doctor came into the room. Sam had Angela's discharge papers.

"Ms. Morgan, I said you are free to go home, but that it's advised that you stay here for observation." The doctor sighed.

Angela rolled her eyes. "Doc, I gotta get out of this place. No offense."

The doctor let out another sigh. "Fine, obviously there is nothing I can do to stop you. But if you need anything, don't hesitate to call. Come back in a few weeks so we can take your stitches out." He added.

Sam handed Angela her discharge papers and she sighed them, quickly handing them to the doctor.

"Thank you." Angela grinned.

The doctor nodded and left the room so he could check on his other patients.

Angela looked up at Sam. "Can you help me into the wheelchair, babe?"

Sam nodded and gently picked her up. He gingerly set her down in the wheelchair and smiled softly. "Ready to go?"

"More than ready." Angela nodded.

"I still think this is a bad idea…" Dean grumbled as they went out to the Impala.

When they got to the Impala, Sam gently helped Angela into the back seat and sat next to her. Dean and Bobby got up front. Dean started the car and drove carefully to Bobby's house.

~/~\~

When the four hunters got to Bobby's house, Sam helped Angela inside and Dean and Bobby went to work on some of the cars in the lot.

Sam helped Angela get dressed in one of his old T-shirts and a pair of gym shorts. He gently put her on the bed and then lied down next to her.

Angela looked into Sam's eyes and smiled softly.

"What?" Sam smiled at her.

"I'm just happy you're here." Angela murmured.

"Me too," Sam replied before he pecked her on the lips. "Let's get some sleep, okay?"

Angela nodded in agreement and yawned. She scooted a bit closer to Sam and they both eventually fell asleep.

~/~\~

Dean closed the trunk of the Impala. Bobby opened the front passenger door.

"Sam and Angie still asleep?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, let 'em rest," Dean replied. "We'll call them later."

Sam showed up suddenly. "Call us from where?"

"Oh," Dean said. "Uh, there's this thing in Oregon."

"Great." Sam nodded. "I'm in."

"Whoa, whoa." Dean stopped him. "You just got vertical."

"Exactly. I'm up. I'm good." Sam shrugged.

"Well, a few more days of crap cable couldn't hurt," Dean replied. "Plus, you can hang out with Angie."

"Right," Sam replied. "Because that's what _you_ did when you got back from hell."

"Alright. Well, someone's gotta stay with Angie." Dean sighed.

"You two go on ahead." Bobby cut in. "I'll stay with Angie."

"You sure?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Bobby said before he left.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were in the Impala. Sam was on the phone.

"Uh, you got it, officer," Sam said. "Thank you. You too." He added before he hung up. "So, get this, besides the crash, there were two other disappearances in town this week."

"Really?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, last weekend, a college girl vanished from her apartment," Sam explained. "On the 17th floor. Then, three days ago, another girl didn't make it home from school."

"They know each other?" Dean asked.

"No." Sam shook his head. "No connection. Just young and female, like the plane-crash girl."

Dean's brows furrowed. "What would disappear a girl out of the sky, anyway?"

"Good question," Sam replied. He glanced at Dean. "So you and Angie never even tried, huh?"

"Tried?" Dean asked, confused.

"To go live a life…after," Sam replied. "You do remember you promised that, right?"

Dean sighed deeply. "Yeah, I remember."

"So, why didn't you try?" Sam asked again.

Dean scoffed. "What makes you think we didn't?"

"Because look at you and Angie," Sam replied obviously. "You're exactly the same."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Dean admitted. "I was with them for a year—Lisa and Ben. Angie stayed in town too."

"A year?" Sam raised a brow.

Dean nodded.

"So then what?" Sam asked.

"Didn't work out," Dean said vaguely. He turned up the music, signaling that the conversation was over.

~/~\~

Angela managed to get herself into her wheelchair when she woke up. She wheeled herself to the study from the first-floor guest room. Bobby was sitting at his desk.

"Hey," Angela said.

Bobby looked up. "Shouldn't you be resting?" he raised a brow.

"Can't sleep." She replied vaguely. "Nightmares." She admitted reluctantly.

Bobby's brows furrowed. "About…Sam?"

Angela bit her lip slightly and nodded. "I just keep reliving that night. I'm elated that he's back, and I know it wasn't really him that hurt me, but…it's hard. Especially when he doesn't remember." She explained. "I just wish…I wish I could forget that night too. I just hate that I can't even talk to Sam about it."

Bobby looked at Angela sadly. "Kid, it's okay to not be okay…You know Dean and I are here for ya, right?"

Angela nodded. "Yeah." She replied. "The worst part is, I don't have any way to take out this negative energy. I can't hunt, I can't train, I can't exercise, nothing!"

"It ain't the same, but you could always help me research," Bobby suggested with a shrug.

Angela smiled slightly and wheeled herself closer to the desk.

~/~\~

"You're, uh…Penny Dessertine's sister, right?" Dean asked.

"Mm-hmm." The woman hummed.

"Uh, we'd just like to ask you a few questions," Sam said softly.

The woman sighed. "Look, the cops already came by. I'm tired. So, if you don't mind—

"I-I understand. Really, I do." Sam assured. "I know how hard this must be. We'd just like to figure out what happened. This will be quick. I promise."

"Okay." The woman conceded. "Fine. Come in."

~/~\~

"Penny was very shy." The woman explained. "To herself. Not at all what you'd call adventurous."

"What, like flying through a lightning storm in a two-seater?" Dean raised a brow.

"She was terrified of that thing." The woman replied. "She just did it for Stan."

"Stan?" Sam asked.

"They were just starting to get serious." The woman replied. "She didn't want to seem, you know…not interested. I just wish I'd told her to stay home. We don't even have a body to bury."

~/~\~

"Hey," Sam said.

"What do you got?" Dean asked.

"Uh…Well, it looks like those other two missing girls both baked cookies for the lord," Sam replied.

Dean looked confused. "What is that? Code?"

"No." Sam shook his head. "Church choir, bake sales, promise-ring clubs, the works. They were good girls. But Penny wasn't even a Christian, so—

"I have another theory." Dean interrupted. "Penny's diary."

Sam's brows furrowed. "Did you steal that from her room?"

"I love that you even asked me that." Dean smiled.

"And why wouldn't I?" Sam asked obviously.

"No reason." Dean shrugged. "So girl-nappings. What if it's not about religion, what if it's about purity?"

Sam's eyes widened. "You mean you think they're all—

"Virgins, Sam." Dean cut him off. "Virgins."

"Penny was 22," Sam replied.

"Yeah, with a pink room." Dean scoffed.

"So?" Sam asked.

"And stuffed teddy bears," Dean added.

"Fine." Sam sighed. "But you really think—

Dean cleared his throat. "I've decided I'm going to give Stan my most precious gift." He read from Penny's diary.

"Wow." Sam laughed. "That sounded really creepy coming out of your mouth."

"I think I delivered it." Dean shrugged.

"You know, you—you could have led with 'the diary'. You know?" Sam replied. "Anyway, let's say you're right. Fine. Who would want virgins?"

"You got me." Dean shrugged. "I prefer ladies with experience."

~/~\~

"It happened so fast," Melissa said, her voice shaking.

"It's alright, Melissa," Sam assured. "What came at you? You can tell us."

"It—it looked like a…a giant bat," Melissa replied. "You think I'm making it up, right? That's what the other man said."

"Well, I'm not the other man." Sam smiled.

"It came right at me," Melissa said. "It was huge. I swear. That's how I got this." She added as she pulled her gown forward. She had large gashes on her back.

"So, it attacked. And then what happened?" Sam asked.

"I don't know." Melissa shrugged. "I passed out, and when I woke up, it was gone."

"Is there anything else you can think of?" Sam pressed. "Anything you can tell us, even if it doesn't seem important?"

"Well, my ring got lost." She shrugged. "Or else that thing stole it if that makes any sense."

"What kind of ring?" Dean asked.

"Gold. Promise ring." Melissa replied.

"Promise ring." Dean nodded. "So, uh…from, like, a church? Like a purity ring?"

"Yeah. Why?" Melissa frowned.

"I got to ask. Uh, Melissa…look, nobody is, uh, judging anybody here, okay?" Dean started. "Believe me. But…Should you _really_ be wearing that ring?"

Melissa looked shocked. "Well, I-I mean, I-I am—

"Really?" Dean raised a brow.

"Matt Barne didn't count!" She exclaimed.

~/~\~

"So, what, you think Batman tried to rape her?" Sam asked as they walked to the Impala.

"Well, he does carry a lot of rages. But he rejected her because she was already dehymenated, huh?" Dean replied.

"You think?" Sam raised a brow.

"I think it just goes to show that being easy's pretty much all upside," Dean smirked.

Sam rolled his eyes. "So, what kind of thing likes virgins and gold?"

"P-Diddy?" Dean suggested.

"You know, it's comforting." Sam smiled slightly.

"What's that?" Dean asked.

"I died for a year, came back, and you're still not funny," Sam replied. "You must have driven Angie crazy." He laughed.

"Shut up," Dean grumbled. "I'm hilarious."

~/~\~

Sam sat at the table and frowned at his computer. "This can't be possible."

"Try me," Dean said.

"Um, I googled fire, claws, flying, stealing virgins, and gold, and it all takes me to the same place." Sam sighed.

"Where?" Dean asked.

"World of Warcraft fansites," Sam muttered.

Dean's brows furrowed. "I don't know what that means."

"Dragons, dude." Sam scoffed. "See? Told you. Not possible."

Dean paused for a moment. "Actually, it might be."

"How?" Sam asked. "In what reality?"

"It's been a strange year." Dean shrugged. "We should get a second opinion."

~/~\~

Bobby was cooking and Angela was still in the study. The phone rang and Bobby answered it.

"Yeah?" Bobby asked.

 _"What do you know about dragons?"_ Dean's voice came through the phone.

Bobby's brows furrowed. "What? Nothing."

 _"Seriously,"_ Dean replied.

"Well, they're not like the Loch Ness monster, Dean." Bobby scoffed. "Dragons aren't real."

 _"Could you make a few calls?"_ Dean asked.

"To who? Hogwarts?" Bobby sassed.

 _"Humor me."_ Dean sighed.

"Fine." Bobby rolled his eyes.

 _"You're a gentleman and a scholar,"_ Dean replied. _"By the way, how's Angie?"_

"She's helping me with some research," Bobby replied.

 _"What?"_ Dean asked with worry. _"She should be resting!"_

"I can't blame her," Bobby replied. "She was cooped up in that hospital bed for a while. Hey, how's Memento doing over there? He caught you in any lies yet?"

 _"Everything's fine,"_ Dean said shortly. _"Sam says hey."_ He added before he hung up.

Bobby rolled his eyes and walked into his study. "Dean called." He told Angela.

Angela looked up from her book. "About?" Angela asked curiously.

"Dragons." Bobby scoffed. "Told him they're not real, obviously."

Angela paused for a moment. "I mean…it's been a weird year." She shrugged.

~/~\~

"You okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied.

"Bobby say anything?" Sam asked.

"Nope." Dean shook his head.

Sam was flipping through John's journal.

"Dad never wrote anything about dragons," Dean said. "I promise. I'd remember if I read _The Never-Ending Story_ in there."

"Hey, did we hunt a skinwalker lately?" Sam asked curiously.

Dean shook his head. "Doesn't ring a bell. Why?"

"I don't know." Sam shrugged. "Just…déjà vu or something. Are you sure? I could have sworn—

"You got to remember, your eggs are still a little scrambled, right?" Dean cut him off. "But, yeah, I'm sure." He lied.

"Alright. Yeah. Never mind." Sam replied.

Dean's phone rang. "Hey, Bobby." He answered. "What do you got?"

 _"Can't believe she didn't jump right to mind,"_ Bobby said. _"Dr. Visyak. Medieval Studies, SFU."_

"Dr. Visyak, SFU. Got it. Thanks." He replied before he hung up. "I'm going to San Francisco, figure out to kill these things. You figure out where they are."

Sam frowned. "W-wait. D-did Bobby say where they like to park?"

"No," Dean replied.

"Great." Sam sighed. "Back to the lore."

"Which says what?" Dean scoffed. "That they live in Middle-Earth?"

"No," Sam replied. "Caves."

Dean rolled his eyes. "What does Angie see in you…You're such a nerd."


	24. Like a Virgin Part 2

Dean stood outside of Dr. Visyak's house. He pressed the buzzer and waited for her to answer the door.

Dr. Visyak peeked through the peephole. "Yes?"

"Dr. Visyak. My name is Dean Winchester." He introduced.

"Office hours are Monday and Friday." She replied bluntly.

"Bobby Singer sent me," Dean said. "Hello? Hi."

The door opened and Dr. Visyak stepped out.

~/~\~

"Bobby Singer." Dr. Visyak muttered. "Tell him something for me next time you see him."

Dean looked around the house. "Hmm?"

"Actually, just kick him in the jewels." She corrected. "That's more poetic."

Dean looked at her and his eyebrows went up. "No lost love between you two, huh?"

"No." Dr. Visyak shook her head. "Just the opposite."

"Oh?" Dean asked curiously.

"That's his story to tell. He's the idiot." She replied. "So, what's all this about?" She asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.

Dean paused for a moment. "Well, uh…Dragons."

"Really?" Dr. Visyak raised a brow.

"What, no twelve-sided-dice joke?" Dean asked.

"We can joke about them because they've disappeared." Dr. Visyak replied. "But they aren't funny at all."

"Well, one just flew in stateside," Dean said.

Dr. Visyak frowned and her brows furrowed. "Are you sure?"

Dean shrugged. "Fits the lore to a tea."

"But how? I mean, why?" She asked. "It's been 700 years…"

"Banner crop of crazy all the way around these days, doc," Dean replied.

"So you want to know how to kill it." Dr. Visyak said.

Dean nodded. "That's right."

"Well, you need a blade." Dr. Visyak replied.

"Uh…Okay." Dean shrugged. "What kind of blade?"

"One forged with dragon's blood."

"So you need one to kill one, but you got to kill one to make one." Dean scoffed slightly. "How does that work out?"

"Well, there aren't many dragon swords around anymore." Dr. Visyak answered. "Five or six, tops, worldwide. I mean, there's the sword of St. George, and, of course, there's Excalibur. And there's—

"You sure know a lot about this stuff, don't you?" Dean interrupted.

Dr. Visyak smiled. "Well, I sure as hell better. I have one in the basement."

Dean's eyebrows shot up. "You have one."

"Finding it took two decades, countless hours, and some really bad sex with an eastern European ambassador, but, yeah." She explained with a shrug. She opened the door to a room that contained a sword embedded in a boulder.

"That's not real," Dean said in denial. "Is that real? Is it Excalibur?"

"No." She shook her head. "This…Is the Sword of Brunswick. Love of my life."

Dean nodded. "So, uh, what's with the cement shoe?"

"You know, binding a sword to the stone used to be all the rage." Dr. Visyak replied with a smile. "To protect them."

"Alright, well, how do we get this puppy out?" Dean asked.

Dr. Visyak laughed. "Well, come on. You know this one. We need a brave knight who's willing to step up and kill the beast."

Dean nodded. "Right." He replied. "Alright, well, I'll, uh, give it a whirl. Do you mind?"

"Oh." Dr. Visyak raised a brow.

Dean smirked cockily as we walked to the boulder. He gripped the sword tightly and attempted to pull it out, failing.

Dr. Visyak stifled a laugh. "You okay?"

"Never better," Dean grunted. Dean tried to pull the sword out again and failed. "Oh, son of a bitch! That's really on there!"

"Yeah, afraid so." Dr. Visyak nodded.

"Well, I have another idea," Dean said confidently.

Dr. Visyak's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

Dean pursed his lips. "Well, you're not gonna like it."

~/~\~

Sam sat at the table in the motel room and scrolled through his research. He sighed a defeated sigh and called Bobby.

 _"Sam."_ Bobby's voice came through the speaker. _"Where's Dean?"_

"Hey, um…He went to go see your friend," Sam replied. "So, look, I'm trying to figure out where this thing lairs up. Uh, little help, maybe?"

 _"What are the parameters?"_ Bobby asked.

"Caves, basically," Sam replied. "But there's nothing around for miles."

 _"So, less literal, then,"_ Bobby said. _"What else you got local that's cold, dark, and wet?"_

"Huh," Sam muttered. "Well, um…There are no subway lines. Sewers. That could be it. Thanks."

 _"Alright,"_ Bobby said shortly.

"Wait, Bobby." Sam swallowed nervously. "Wait. Um…You okay?"

 _"Yeah, of course,"_ Bobby replied. _"Why? What's wrong?"_

"You've just seemed kinda distant," Sam replied. "Is there something I should know?"

 _"No,"_ Bobby replied. _"All you need to know is where Godzilla's holed up."_

Sam sighed. "Well, Bobby, what happened this year?"

 _"It had its moments. No more than usual."_ Bobby said. _"It's got nothing to do with you, Sam. How could it?"_ He added. _"Look, Dean and I were just a little shaken up by Angie getting hurt."_

"Right. 'Course." Sam replied. "How's she doing?"

 _"She's good. Finally got her to rest, she's stubborn as hell."_ Bobby replied. _"Call me if you need anything."_

"Ye—

Sam frowned when Bobby hung up, cutting him off. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Castiel, um…I'm back." Sam prayed. "So, if you got a minute…"

"Sam." Castiel greeted when he appeared. "It's so good to see you alive."

Sam stood up and nodded. "Yeah. You too."

Castiel walked over to Sam, arms out in an attempt to hug him, but Sam sat down instead.

"Um…Look, I-I would hug you, but…" Sam trailed off.

"That would be awkward." Castiel nodded.

Sam paused for a moment. "Um…What a crazy year, huh? I-I-I just talked to Bobby. He…He told me everything that happened."

Castiel sighed. "Frankly, I'm surprised that you survived. I was begging Dean not to do it."

Confusion quickly flashed through Sam's eyes. "Yeah. No, I-I-I can understand that."

"You know, it's a miracle it didn't kill you," Castiel said.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Yeah, it's a miracle, alright."

"So, how does it feel?" Castiel asked.

Sam's brows furrowed. "What?"

"Well, to have your soul back, of course," Castiel replied obviously.

Sam frowned slightly. "Right. Y-you mean 'cause I was walking around with no soul." He replied. "Uh…Really good, Cas. I'm really good. You know what? I'm just hazy on a few of the details, though. Um…You think maybe you could…walk me through?"

~/~\~

"You know what? I…I don't like this at all." Dr. Visyak said. "You do realize that this is the single most valuable artifact you have ever touched?"

Dean had brought in C4. "It's also the only weapon we got." He replied. "Look, I know what I'm doing, okay? I actually learned it all from Bobby. Hey, whatever happened there, you know he's at least a genius at this. Do you want me to kill that dragon or not?"

Dr. Visyak sighed. "Okay…"

"Trust me," Dean assured. He knelt next to the rock and placed the C4 on it. "You rocks think you're so smart." He grumbled. "Alright. Welcome to the 21st century. Alright, stand back." He said.

Dean and Dr. Visyak exited the room and Dean detonated the charges.

"Okay. Now…" Dean said as he pulled out the sword. It was broken in half. "You've got insurance for this, right?" He looked at Dr. Visyak.

~/~\~

Sam looked at the broken sword and then he looked at Dean. "And what are we supposed to do with this, Dean? Give it a booster shot?"

"It's what we got." Dean shrugged. "We're just gonna have to get a little closer. That's all. Where are we on the caves?"

"Nowhere," Sam replied. "Sewers, on the other hand…Here. Check this out." He pointed at their map. "So, two of the disappearances happened within a mile of here. So I think we start there and work our way around."

"Awesome. Who doesn't love sewers?" Dean asked sarcastically. "Let's go."

Sam looked like he was about to say something. Dean raised a brow expectantly.

"What?" Dean asked.

Sam shook his head. "Nothing. Uh, yeah, let's go."

~/~\~

Dean and Sam walked through the sewers with flashlights.

"Ugh!" Dean groaned. "God. Just when I get used to the smell, I hit a new flavor. Dude, we have been here for hours. There is nothing. I think the lore is off." He said. "Hey, what if, uh…What if dragons like nice hotels?"

Sam pointed his flashlight at something behind Dean. "What is that?"

"What?" Dean asked, turning around. He pointed his flashlight and saw a pile of gold. "Holy crap." He said. He picked up a gold watch from the pile. "Okay, maybe there are dragons here." He nodded as he started to take some of the gold.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Wait. Dean…Not now. Check this out." He said as he walked toward an altar he found. There was a leather-bound book on the altar. "A little arts-and-crafty for a giant bat, right?"

"Hello?" Penny asked. "Is someone there? Hello?"

Sam and Dean found the girls trapped under the grates of the sewer.

"Hey. We're gonna get you out." Dean assured.

"Quick," Penny said. "He's coming back."

Sam was pulled backward by a dragon. Dean took out the dragon sword.

The dragon laughed. "Where do you think you're gonna stick that?"

Dean cut into the dragon's arm and the dragon hissed in pain.

"Where did you get that?" the dragon glared.

"Comic-Con." Dean sassed.

The dragon knocked the sword out of Dean's hand. The sword fell between the grates. The dragon approached Dean, his hand glowing brightly. Sam distracted the dragon and Dean reach to grab the sword, which was just out of reach.

"Come on, come on," Dean muttered before he was pulled away by another dragon.

Sam kicked away the dragon he had been fighting. Sam reached down and grabbed the sword from between the grates. He stabbed the dragon fighting Dean and the other dragon escaped.

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela were in Bobby's kitchen. Dean played with one of the gold watches.

"Hey." Dean grinned. "Ask me what time it is."

Angela laughed and shook her head. "Why don't you cut to the chase and just roll in it?"

Dean shrugged. "I rarely have wealth, Angie." He defended.

"Guys…" Sam cut in, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Angela looked at Sam, her eyebrows raised. "What's up, babe?"

"I am so…so sorry," Sam said sincerely. "I can't even begin to say..."

"For what?" Dean asked as he set down the watch.

"You know what." Sam sighed.

Dean clenched his jaw slightly. "Did Bobby…

"Cas." Sam corrected.

"Cas." Dean shook his head. "Friggin' child."

"You guys should have told me," Sam said seriously.

"Baby, you weren't supposed to know." Angela sighed.

Sam looked at her and his frown deepened. "What I did? To Dean? To Bobby? And god...What I did to you, Angie?" He asked. "Of course I should know. I-I can't even understand how you can forgive me."

"Sam, Death didn't just shove your soul back in, okay?" Dean cut in. "He put up the great wall of Sam between you and the things that you don't remember. And trust us when we say that the things you don't know could kill you. That's not a joke."

"Alright." Sam nodded. "But I have to set things right. Or what I can, anyway."

"It wasn't you, Sam," Angela assured. "It was someone who looked like you, but it wasn't you. Your soul is what makes you…you, baby."

Sam shook his head. "You know, I kind of feel like I got slipped the worst mickey of all time…and I woke up to find out that I had burnt the whole city down." He said. "And you can say it wasn't me, but…I'm the one with the zippo in my pocket, you know? So I'm not sure it's that cut and dry." He explained. "And look, I appreciate you guys trying to protect me. I really do. But I got to fix…What I got to fix. So I need to know what I did."

"But you don't know how dangerous that could be," Angela replied.

"Angie…I need to do this," Sam replied, taking her hands in his. "I have to make up for what I did. Especially to you… And I'm going to do everything in my power to do so. But to do that, I need to know _everything_ that I did."

"Sam…" Angela started.

Bobby walked into the kitchen. "Hey, there's something I think you ought to see."

~/~\~

"Now, as near as I can figure it, this dates back around to the 14th century," Bobby said.

"What language is it?" Sam asked.

"Da Vinci Code," Bobby replied. "Real obscure Latinate. Gonna take my golden years to translate it all. Oh, and, uh, FYI…that ain't paper."

"What is it?" Angela frowned.

"It's human skin," Bobby said nonchalantly. "Okay. I'm fairly clear on this first bit. It basically described this place. It's like the backside of your worst nightmares. It's all blood and bone and darkness. Filled with the bodies and souls of all things hungry, sharp, and nasty."

"Monsters?" Sam asked.

"It's monsterland." Bobby nodded. "According to this, it goes by many names, most of which I can't pronounce, but I'm thinking you know Purgatory."

"Purgatory?" Dean raised a brow. "Awesome. Well, that is good to know. So, you're saying that these, uh, dragon freaks were squatting in the sewers and reading tone poems about Purgatory?"

"Oh, no, no, no. They're reading an instruction manual." Bobby corrected.

"What?" Dean frowned.

"Yeah. If you're nuts enough to want access to a place that gnarly, this book will show you how to open a door."

"Door to Purgatory." Angela sighed. "Well, we know a demon who would have loved to have known about that. So, how do you open the door?"

"Ask Cloverfield," Bobby replied. "I'm pretty sure he's got that page." He added. "It gets worse."

"Worse?" Sam scoffed.

"This ain't talking about how to take a vacation over there. This is all about opening a door to let something in."

"Bring something here," Angela said. "What?"

"I'm working on it," Bobby replied.

"Could you give us something?" Dean asked.

"I got a name."

"Okay." Dean nodded.

"Mother," Bobby said.

"Mother?" Sam asked. "Mother of what? Mother of dragons?"

"I wish." Bobby scoffed. "It says it a few more times. Mother of all."

"What the hell does that mean?" Angela frowned.

"I don't know." Bobby sighed.


	25. Unforgiven Part 1

It had been a few weeks since the dragon case, and Angela was finally back on the road with the boys, much to Sam's dismay. She had finally gotten her stitches taken out and was now using a pair of crutches instead of a wheelchair. Angela was on research duty of course, and Sam made sure that she didn't strain herself physically.

Currently, Sam and Dean were out grabbing food and Angela was on the bed she shared with Sam. She was on her laptop, bored out of her mind from being cooped up in the motel room. Suddenly she heard a flutter of wings and looked over to see Castiel.

Angela immediately closed her laptop and grinned at the angel. "Cas!" She exclaimed happily. "What are you doing here?"

Castiel walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "I came to check on you." He replied. "You seem to be healing nicely."

Angela nodded and smiled. "Thank you." She replied sincerely. "But you didn't come here just to tell me how good I look, did you?"

Castiel sighed deeply. "I don't understand why you won't just let me heal you…"

"Castiel, we've had this discussion." Angela reminded him. "You're dealing with a war in Heaven and you need all the strength you can get. I have no issue healing naturally."

Castiel let out another sigh. "You have told me that friends help each other out…Let me help by taking away your injuries." He tried to persuade her.

Angela smiled softly, she appreciated the fact that Castiel wanted to help her. "If I let you heal my injuries will you stop worrying so much?"

"It would make me feel better, yes," Castiel replied with a nod.

Angela nodded. "Okay, okay. Plus, I have missed being out and about." She admitted with a small smile.

Castiel smiled a small, victorious smile. Angela was known to be stubborn as hell sometimes. Castiel lightly put his fingers to her forehead and within moments all of her injuries were healed.

"Thank you, Cas," Angela said sincerely. "I really appreciate it." She added, hugging him tightly. She pulled away and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. "You know, you should stay so you can see Sam and Dean when they get back…"

Castiel looked away and shook his head. "No. Dean is still…upset with me."

Angela sighed. "Look, I don't agree with you telling Sam about the past year either, but, what's done is done. As long as Sam's okay, everything's good."

"I'll keep in touch, Angela," Castiel replied, not addressing what she had just said.

Angela was about to say something, but Castiel suddenly disappeared. She sighed deeply and shook her head. She stood up and walked to the fridge just as Sam and Dean entered the room.

Sam frowned when he saw Angela standing up. He set a bag of food down on the table and quickly walked over to her. "Baby, what are you doing up without your crutches?"

She took out a bottle of water and looked up at Sam. "I'm fine. Cas came by and healed me." She assured. She spun around and grinned. "See? Good as new!"

"Cas didn't wanna stick around?" Dean cut in as he took out a burger from one of the bags.

Angela shook her head. "No, but he said he'd keep in touch." She replied. "Any word from Bobby?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, we talked to him on our way back." He replied with a mouthful of food.

"Oh, yeah?" Angela raised a brow. "You guys got anything else on this 'Mother of All' thing?"

Sam shook his head and sighed. "No, nothing solid. Bobby says it's quiet."

Angela's brows furrowed together. "Quiet like quiet or quiet like too quiet?"

Sam's cell phone dinged, announcing a new text.

Dean shrugged. "When is it ever just quiet."

Angela nodded in agreement. "Right."

Sam checked his cell phone and saw that he had received a text message of coordinates. "Huh."

Angela leaned over and peered at his phone curiously. "What are these, coordinates? Who's it from?"

"I have no idea," Sam replied. He went to the table and opened his computer to look up the coordinates.

"Well?" Dean raised a brow.

"Uh, Bristol, Rhode Island, where three women disappeared in the last week," Sam explained. "Apparently, the, uh, victims seemed to vanish into thin air."

"Could be something." Angela nodded. "Who's the text from?"

"I don't know," Sam replied. "It just kept ringing."

"What's that about?" Dean frowned.

Sam shrugged. "Could be another hunter looking for backup, throwing us a case?" he suggested. "Who knows how many hunters I even met, working with the Campbells, you know? But I think we should go."

"Whoa, wait," Dean said. "We're just gonna drop everything?"

"Dude, two minutes ago, you weren't doing anything," Sam argued.

"Look, babe…it's just… some random person is sending you mysterious coordinates? Doesn't that throw up some red flags to you?" Angela asked.

"I don't know. Maybe." Sam sighed. "But that doesn't mean we can just ignore a bunch of missing girls. Right?"

Angela looked at Dean and then back at Sam. "Okay. We'll check it out."

"But if things get squirrelly, we dump out, okay?" Dean added.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela drove by a sign welcoming them to Bristol, Sam flashed back briefly to when he was last there. Dean looked at him, concerned.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Nothing." Sam lied.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were sitting at a table in a local restaurant. The table was covered with newspaper clippings and leaflets.

"Well, freak's got a type—brunettes," Dean said as he looked through the missing persons leaflets. "Whoa. This one's got a little bit of a wild side." He smirked as he showed the picture to Sam and Angela. "It's all in the eyes. See it?"

Angela rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Alright, well, aside from your little deep insight there, these women actually have nothing in common." She explained. "Different jobs, different friends, different everything. So, what's the connection?"

"I don't know." Dean shrugged. "Why don't you two figure it out? I'm gonna hit the poop deck." He smirked as he stood up. He headed to the bathroom, marked with the sign 'poop deck'.

"Agent Roark?" Someone asked. A woman, who seemed to be with her husband, had approached Sam and Angela. "It's good to see you again." She smiled.

Sam tried to hide his confusion and nodded. "It is."

"Oh, you remember my husband?" The woman asked, gesturing to the man next to her.

"Right." Sam nodded.

"Don." The woman clarified.

"Of course, right." Sam smiled slightly. "Um, hi."

"So, you're back 'cause it started again, right—the disappearances?" The woman asked.

"Yes, we are." Angela cut in. She shook the woman's hand and then Don's. "I'm one of Agent Roark's new partners. If you two hear anything, please let us know."

The woman's brows furrowed. "What happened to your old partner?" she asked Sam. "The big bald guy? Agent Wynand, right?"

Sam was about to say something, but Dean walked up.

"Sex rehab," Dean interjected. "Yeah, you've heard of plushies, right?"

"This is, uh—this is my other new partner." Sam smiled.

"Hi. Pleasure." Dean said as he shook the woman's hand. "How're you doing? Hi." He smiled as he shook Don's hand. He looked at Sam and Angela. "Uh, so, Agents, we should, uh—

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Yeah, of course."

"Of course." The woman smiled at Sam flirtatiously. "Uh, nice chatting with you, Agent Roark."

"You too." Sam nodded.

The woman touched Sam's shoulder before she left, and Sam flashed back to when they last met.

~/~\~

_Sam kissed the woman roughly and lifted her onto the sink. He pushed her dress up as he continued kissing down her neck._

_The woman threw her head back slightly. Sam pulled away to look at her and the woman smirked at him._

" _Cuff me." The woman whispered seductively._

~/~\~

Angela clenched her jaw as the woman walked off. "I don't like the way she was looking at you." She muttered.

Dean snorted slightly. "Yeah, she just cougar-eyed you, Sam."

Sam wasn't listening to what Dean and Angela were saying. "I think Samuel and I have worked a case in this town."

"You think?" Dean scoffed. He showed Sam and Angela a polaroid he got from the wall of customers who won the restaurant's eating challenged, which showed Sam and Samuel in the background. "Come on. Let's get the hell out of here."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were in an abandoned house. Dean and Angela were hastily packing up his things.

"Hey, come on," Dean said to Sam. "Hop to, would you?"

Sam sighed. "We can't go."

"Uh, yeah, we can." Dean scoffed.

"No, listen, five guys went missing a year ago," Sam replied. "They never found the bodies. I mean, that's got to be the job me and Samuel worked, right?"

"Great. What difference does it make?" Dean raised a brow.

"A year ago, five guys go missing, and now suddenly all these women go missing," Sam argued. "Something's here. So either we just didn't stop it, or we only thought we did."

"Okay, but why the gender-bend, huh?" Dean asked. "First it's dudes. Now it's chicks? That's a totally different M.O."

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. Who knows? The point is, something's still here."

"Baby, we'll call Bobby," Angela replied as she took his hands in hers. "He can deal with it."

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why? We can deal with it."

"Are you serious?" Dean scoffed. "Sam, there is a reason that hunters don't hit the same town over again—'cause we have a habit of leaving messes behind."

"Right. I agree." Sam replied.

"One of dad's rules—you never use the same crapper twice." Dean recited.

Angela looked at Dean, confused. "Everyone uses the same crapper twice."

"Not us," Dean replied. He rolled his eyes at the looks that Sam and Angela gave him. "You know what I mean."

"Okay, look, this creature is still walking around 'cause of me, right?" Sam argued. "I mean, I let it go. Dad also said, 'you finish what you start'. Okay, I get it."

"Do you?" Dean asked.

"Yes," Sam assured. "You guys are afraid that I'll stroll down memory lane and I'll kick this wall in my head so hard, Hell comes flooding through, right? And then all of a sudden, I'm some drooling mess of the floor."

"It's not a joke, Sam." Angela cut in seriously.

Sam gently took one of her hands in his. "Okay. I know." He murmured. "But listen, what's happening here now, it's because I messed up somehow, in some big way." He explained. "So, every person that gets taken, every person who dies—that's on me. I have to stop it. And you guys would do the same thing."

Angela and Dean shared a look. Angela looked back up at Sam and sighed. "Okay." She conceded. "Dean and I will follow up with the missing girls. You see what you get from the cops."

Sam nodded and pressed a sweet, short kiss to Angela's lips. "I know your injuries are healed, but, be careful." He said softly.

~/~\~

"So, you and Nicole were roommates for a long time?" Angela asked.

The girl nodded. "Since college, but we've been best friends forever."

"Hmm." Dean hummed.

"This whole thing's really surreal." The girl shook her head. "Are you any closer to finding her, or…?"

"We're doing everything we can," Angela assured. "Now, you were with Nicole that night she went missing. Did she say anything?"

"Nothing." The girl sighed. "It's like I told the cops—I wish there was something."

Dean found a business card from 'Agent H. Roark'. "Where'd you get this?" Dean asked, holding up the card.

The girl shrugged. "Oh, Nicole got that from that FBI guy."

Dean glanced at Angela and then looked at the girl. "Agent Roark. About—about yea high?" He asked, gesturing about a foot above his head.

"Yeah, that was him." The girl nodded. "One of the men that disappeared last year lived in our building."

"Right." Dean nodded.

"So, Agent Roark was asking us all questions about it, I guess." The girl shrugged.

Angela raised a brow. "You guess? So, he—he came by here?"

"Oh, he came—by a few times." The girl replied suggestively.

"Did he?" Angela asked, anger bubbling up inside of her. "To, uh…Speak to Nicole."

"Uh…Right." The girl nodded.

"And how would you…characterize their relationship?" Dean asked curiously.

"Relationship?" The girl asked. "No, they weren't having a—

"Just the—the—the tone or the nature of their conversation." Dean clarified.

Nicole paused for a moment. "Well…Loud. And…Athletic."

Angela forced a smile onto her face. "Thank you. I think that's all we need."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela walked out of Nicole's house and to the Impala.

"You okay, Angie?" Dean asked.

"I'm fine." She replied shortly.

"Do you…wanna talk about it?" Dean asked cautiously.

"I just really don't care for hearing about who Sam had sex with while he was soulless," Angela replied. "It just…pisses me off." She added as she got into the passenger's seat.

~/~\~

Sam was walking towards the entrance of the sheriff's station when he was spotted by sheriff Atkins.

Sheriff Atkins aimed his gun at Sam immediately. "Hold it right there!" he yelled. "Stop right there! Hands where I can see them!"

Sam had a quick flashback to when he last encountered sheriff Atkins.

"Get in my car, or you're under arrest." Sheriff Atkins demanded, shaking Sam from his flashback.

"Look—no, sir." Sam pleaded. "Please just hold on for a second. There's been a misunderstanding here."

Sheriff Atkins locked Sam in a cell. "Man, you are dumb as a sack of hair—coming back here after what you did?"

"Look, there's been a misunderstanding here." Sam tried.

"You are not a damn agent, okay?" Sheriff Atkins scoffed. "The FBI never heard of you."

"Just listen." Sam pleaded.

"Where are the bodies?" Sheriff Atkins asked. "Mothers want to bury their loved ones."

"I don't know," Sam replied honestly.

"Where's sheriff Dobbs?" Sheriff Atkins glared.

"I don't know," Sam repeated.

Sheriff Atkins scoffed. "You run out of town soaked in blood—oh and you bash my brains in to do it—and you really expect me to buy that?"

"Look, would you believe that I don't remember anything?" Sam sighed.

"No. But good luck selling it to the judge." Sheriff Atkins replied before he walked off.

~/~\~

Later that night, Brenna Dobbs, a woman with medium-length black hair and light blue eyes, approached Sam's cell nervously.

"What happened to my husband?" Brenna asked.

Sam looked up at her from where he was sitting. "I-I don't know."

"Don't lie to me," Brenna replied. "I know who you are, Sam. I know what you do."

Sam's eyes widened, and he stood up. "What? You do?"

~/~\~

" _Let me get this straight—you're not feds." Sheriff Dobbs said. "You actually hunt things."_

" _We know how it sounds," Samuel assured._

_Sheriff Dobbs shook his head. "I'm not sure you do."_

" _You saw those crime scenes, Roy," Sam interjected. "You really think something human could have taken those guys?"_

" _What you're saying—it's impossible." Brenna shook her head._

" _You know, I'm sorry, I-I don't understand what she's got to do with any of this," Sam said condescendingly._

" _She's my wife." Sheriff Dobbs replied. "She works with me at the sheriff's station. You tell something like this to me, you tell it to her, too. Alright, what do you need us to do?"_

~/~\~

Sam looked at Brenna. "Your husband—he's the sheriff."

"Was the sheriff, until he vanished…and you vanished." Brenna corrected. "What was I supposed to think? That thing got him, or that you killed him? I just want to know what happened."

"So do I. Believe me," Sam assured. "Something happened to me. I have no memory of being here, ever."

Brenna scoffed slightly. "What is this, _Days of Our Lives_?" she asked. "You're telling me you have some sort of amnesia?"

"If I knew any of this, would I have stepped foot in this station?" Sam asked. "I'm sorry. I-I don't even know your name."

"If this is some sort of game, you're either incredibly clever or incredibly stupid," Brenna noted.

"I'm telling the truth," Sam said sincerely. "Look…I don't know what happened to your husband. But I can find out."

Brenna still didn't know if she could trust him…But her curiosity got the best of her. "How?"

"If you really know me, then you know that's my job," Sam replied.

"You really don't remember?" Brenna asked.

"No. I really don't." Sam replied.

"I'm Brenna Dobbs." She reintroduced herself.

"Brenna…I'm so sorry about what happened to your husband," Sam replied sincerely. "But I can find answers…Just not from in here."

Brenna reluctantly unlocked the cell door and released Sam. "Come on. Help me find some rope." She instructed. "If it's gonna look like a break-out, you're gonna need to tie me up."

~/~\~

Sam heard someone approaching and drew his gun as he waited by the door.

Dean and Angela walked in and Dean raised a brow.

"Hey, Sam." Dean greeted. "So, how does it feel to be a fugitive again? Hate to say, 'I told you so'."

Sam lowered his gun and scoffed. "You love to say, 'I told you so'."

"Actually, you're right—I do love to say, 'I told you so'," Dean smirked. "So, Angie and I found out something on, uh, 'crazy eyes McGee'. Turns out you two knew each other."

Sam frowned. "What?"

"Biblically." Angela snapped slightly. "We just spoke to her roommate. You sure got around when you didn't have a soul."

Sam took a cautious step towards Angela. "Baby, I—

Angela shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, no, I'm sorry." She sighed. "It wasn't really you. If you had a soul at the time, you wouldn't have done it. I just… Don't like hearing about it."

Sam was about to say something, but the police scanner started to go off.

 _"Eight Sierra Papa."_ The voice on the police scanner. _"Got a 1057, 1100 block of Hope Street. Over."_

"Missing person—another one," Sam commented.

"Okay, alright. Angie and I will go." Dean replied. "You stay."

"Angie's not ready, her injuries were just healed!" Sam argued.

Angela walked over to Sam and took his hands in hers. "Baby, I'll be okay. I'm good as new. Promise."

Sam looked like he wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut. "Fine." He replied reluctantly. "But keep in touch, okay?"

"Of course." She smiled softly. "But seriously, stay here." She added before she stood on her toes to kiss him.

Sam kissed her back softly and sighed as he pulled back. "Fine, I'll stay here."

~/~\~

"Listen, thank you for your time," Angela told Don. "We're on it."

"Yeah." Don nodded. "Thanks."

Dean and Angela left Don's house and Dean pulled out his phone to call Sam. He sighed and shook his head when he got Sam's voicemail.

"Sam, answer the phone, dammit," Dean said. "We found the connection between the missing chicks. They all banged the same dude— _you_. It's you, Sam. The texts, the victims, all of it—it's a trap for you. Call me back."

~/~\~

Brenna found Sam in her house and jumped, clearly startled.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Sam said, walking up to her.

"You can't be here!" Brenna exclaimed.

"Okay, p-please just listen." Sam pleaded.

"What happened to Debbie Harris?" Brenna asked.

Sam's brows furrowed. "Debbie?"

"I let you out, and she's just gone." Brenna accused.

"And y-you think I did something to her?" Sam asked.

Brenna shook her head. "I don't know what to think."

Sam shifted slightly. "Look, um, I need your help."

Brenna scoffed and shook her head. "Are you kidding?"

"I need the case files that your husband made about the disappearances last year," Sam explained.

"So go to the station and find it," Brenna replied.

"It's not there," Sam replied. Brenna shot him a look and he sighed. "I broke in and I looked, and it's gone," Sam admitted. "And I have a theory about who might have it. Look, we both want the same thing here, Brenna. I promise. We want to find out what happened last year, and we want to stop what's happening right now."

Brenna let out a reluctant sigh. "The file's upstairs. I'll be right back."

As Brenna left, Sam started to remember the last time he was at Brenna's house with Samuel.

~/~\~

" _So, you guys just travel all the time?" Brenna asked. "I mean, you just pick up and go? Doesn't that get hard?"_

_Samuel shook his head. "Not when you're young—it's great." He shrugged. "Once you got a family, it's a little tougher. Deanna got pregnant, and we didn't know what we were gonna do. But Mary was…She was a blessing." He explained. He suddenly noticed his empty beer._

" _There's more in the garage," Roy said as he started to get up._

" _Ah, listen, you sit. I'll get it." Samuel replied. He stood up and started to walk to the garage._

_Brenna looked at Sam. "He misses her." She commented softly. "You know, at least you two have each other."_

" _Well, Samuel wasn't really around when I was a kid." Sam shrugged. "We have more of a, uh, business relationship."_

" _Uh, do you have any other family?" Brenna asked curiously._

" _Family just slows you down." Sam shrugged._

~/~\~

Brenna shook Sam's shoulder, trying to break him out of the trance. "Sam? Sam?! You alright?"

Sam blinked a few times and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah. Um…Alright, let's see what you have."

Sam and Brenna started to look through the case files, and Sam started to remember more from his last visit.

~/~\~

" _Best guess—it came from an Arachne," Samuel said._

" _You ever seen one?" Sam asked._

_Samuel shook his head. "No one has—not outside of Crete, not for about 2,000 years."_

" _Then what do we even know about them?" Sam asked._

" _Zip." Samuel sighed. "Just a bunch of guesses and a blurry picture on the side of a Greek vase."_

_Sam sighed. "So, I gather we got no clue how to kill this thing, huh?"_

" _I guess we just go at it till something sticks," Samuel replied._

_Sam nodded. "Well, I got an idea of where it might be, at least. So far, all the vics have been men in their 30s, and they've all gone missing within a two-mile radius."_

" _So we just get out and kick bushes," Samuel said._

" _No, that'd be a waste of time." Sam shook his head. "I mean, it's all suburban sprawl—hundreds of houses, at least. It could be anywhere."_

_Samuel looked at where Sam was pointing on the map. "Lonely Pines Park."_

" _Yeah." Sam nodded. "I say we make this thing come to us."_

_Samuel's brows furrowed. "How do we do that?"_

~/~\~

Sam blinked a few times and gathered himself. "Hey, um, Brenna, do you mind if I—if I, um, borrow all this stuff for a couple of hours?"

Brenna shot him a confused look. "Um, okay, I guess." She replied hesitantly. "You really don't remember Roy, do you?" She asked softly. "He was a good man. I've made peace that he's dead. I have. But I just want to know what happened."

Sam paused for a moment. "I'm sure he died a hero." He replied sincerely. Sam left the house and checked his voicemail. He listened to Dean's message as he walked and was transfixed by a spider web. He jumped when he was tapped on the shoulder and raised his gun.

"Whoa, whoa." Dean held his hands up.

Sam lowered his gun and rolled his eyes. "I almost shot you guys…Again." He replied. "What the hell?"

"Well, we figured you'd come and talk to her," Angela replied, hands on her hips. "We told you to stay home, babe. Did you get Dean's message? Come on. We need to get you out of here."

~/~\~

"Well, we know that this is a monster with opposable thumbs and unlimited text messaging, and we know that it wants to kill you specifically." Dean sighed. "Does that about cover it?"

"It's an Arachne," Sam replied.

"A what?" Dean raised a brow.

Sam sighed and paused for a moment. "I remembered."

"You remembered?" Angela raised a brow. "Uh, what else have you remembered?"

"Angie, don't worry," Sam assured. "I-it's got nothing to do with Hell."

Angela shook her head. "Not yet, anyway."

"What can I do?" Sam shrugged. "The stuff is just starting to come back, alright? Maybe it's natural."

"We're leaving," Dean said seriously.

"No, we can't," Sam argued.

"We are not the only hunters on the planet, okay?" Angela snapped. "We can call Bobby. He and Rufus could come and wrap it up."

"How?" Sam sighed. "It could be anyone, we got jack for leads."

"We know that it hates you," Dean replied.

Sam let out a frustrated sigh. "I know who did this. I just—I can't remember."

"I don't think you get the risk here, Sam," Angela interjected.

"Yes, I do," Sam assured.

"Really?" Angela asked. "Every time you scratch that wall, you're playing Russian roulette! I-I can't lose you, okay? Not again. I just got you back." She said, her voice wavering.

Sam's eyes softened, and he pulled her into a warm hug. "I get that you and Dean are worried." He murmured. "And I know what you think is gonna happen. But you know what? It will or it won't."

"Sam—

"Look, I'm starting to think that—that I might have done some bad stuff here." Sam interrupted. "And so I don't care if it's dangerous, Angie. I have to set things right, 'cause I got a frigging soul now, and—and it won't just let me walk away. I'm staying here. And I need you and Dean to back me up." He explained. "Please."

Angela pulled away and looked back at Dean.

Dean sighed and nodded. "Alright." He conceded. "Why not? Well, let's 'memento' this thing, shall we?"

Angela noticed the faraway look in Sam's eyes. "You okay?"

~/~\~

_Sam was on the phone. "That's right. Yeah, Lonely Pines Park, one hour. Thanks, Roy." He said before he hung up. "Alright."_

_Samuel eyed him. "Are you sure about this?"_

" _The Arachne's been snacking on mid-30s guys." Sam shrugged. "We need bait that fits the demo. I'm too young. You're too old."_

" _89 and counting," Samuel replied. "I still think that we should have looped Roy in on the plan."_

" _Do we want a credible performance, or don't we?" Sam raised a brow._

" _But what if something goes wrong?"_

" _Roy's a big a boy," Sam assured. "He'll be fine. Trust me."_

_Samuel paused. "It's just…not the way I'm used to doing things."_

" _Got it." Sam nodded. "Welcome to the future. Let's go."_

~/~\~

" _Let's hope this thing's hungry," Sam mumbled._

_Roy was suddenly attacked by the Arachne. He screamed and yelled for help as he was taken away._

" _Let's split up, look for him," Samuel suggested._

" _No, no, wait." Sam stopped him. "It's too late."_

" _Let's go!" Samuel snapped._

" _They're gone, Samuel!" Sam replied. "Look—it's okay. I turned on the GPS on Roy's cell."_

_Samuel rolled his eyes. "In English, please."_

" _We can track them back to wherever she goes," Sam explained._

" _So, what, Roy's just some redshirt to you, just spider bait?" Samuel accused._

" _No, no, of course not," Sam replied. "This is my backup plan."_

_Samuel shook his head. "My God, son, you're about as cold as they come. You know that?"_

_Sam ignored the comment. "Let's go."_

_Sam and Samuel followed the GPS back to where the Arachne was hiding. They found several men trapped in spider-webbing._

_Samuel started to cut through the webbing and shook his head. "Poor bastard."_

_The man trapped in the web suddenly gasped for air, and the other trapped victims did the same._

" _Help me." Roy groaned. "I can't…Feel…"_

_Sam rushed over to Roy. "Roy, hey, where is she?" Sam asked._

_Sam was thrown back by the Arachne and he groaned in pain. He kicked the Arachne and she staggered back. Samuel shot her, and she threw him across the room as well. Sam sliced off the Arachne's head with a machete._

" _Well, I guess decapitation works," Samuel commented. "Roy. You're gonna be okay. Just hang in there. We're gonna get you some help." He assured. He looked at Sam. "Listen, if we can get him to the hospital quick—_

" _He can't be helped." Sam interrupted._

_Samuel frowned. "What?"_

" _I don't know about Arachne, but I do know about spiders," Sam replied. "One brown recluse bite can kill you. This thing? Look at these guys—that poison's eating them alive. They're just dead men walking."_

" _So, what are you saying?" Samuel asked, almost afraid of the answer._

" _I'm saying we put him out of his misery," Sam replied as he pulled out his gun._

" _Sam…Please," Roy begged._

" _Killing this thing saved a lot of lives," Sam replied. "We couldn't have done it without you."_

" _No." Roy pleaded weakly._

" _You're a hero," Sam assured. He shot Roy in the head and moved on to execute the other victims. "We can't just leave the bodies here. Get the gasoline."_

~/~\~

Sam shook himself from the memory. He looked at Dean and Angela. "I know what happened."

~/~\~

"What are you gonna say to Brenna?" Dean asked.

"Relax, Dean," Sam replied. "Hey, Brenna, it's—it's Sam." He said into the speaker. "I'm just checking in. Yeah, of course, I can swing by. Okay. Yeah. Bye."

"What was that about?" Angela asked curiously.

Sam put his phone in his pocket and shrugged. "She wants me to swing by."

"For?" Dean raised a brow.

"She said it's no big deal, but I can tell she's in deep trouble," Sam replied.

~/~\~

"Dean, Angie, back door," Sam whispered.

"Light's on in the shed," Dean commented. "My spidey senses are tingling."

"Shh." Sam hushed.

"Sam?" Brenna asked suddenly.

"Brenna? Hey." Sam replied.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "What you did to Roy…Is it true?"

Roy attacked Dean, then Angela. He then grabbed Sam by the throat. "Answer the question, Sam." He snarled.


	26. Unforgiven Part 2

Roy had Sam, Dean, and Angela trapped in webbing.

"You got to admit, I look good, Sam," Roy smirked. "Well, except for your little souvenir." He added, pointing to his forehead, where there was a bullet sized scar.

"You win," Sam replied. "I'm here. Let Brenna go. This has nothing to do with her."

Roy shook his head. "You come back around, start hanging out with my wife, and you think this has nothing to do with her?" He asked. "But then…you thought I was out of the way, right? I got to say, you get a hell of a lot wrong, Sam, like that thing you threw me to." He added. "You thought it was here to feed."

"She was here to breed." Sam realized.

"Yeah." Roy nodded. "That thing was playing the mating game, and I guess I fit her profile…Me and all those other poor bastards. She bit us to turn us into what she was." He explained. "By the time you pulled that trigger, I wasn't human. Not anymore. So bullets didn't hurt me much. Oh, and neither did fire. So, after you left, well, we ran. Me—I hid for months, nearly starved." He added. "But you know what kept me going? Every night, I dreamed about ripping your throat out. I thought I was sending you a neon sign. The text? Taking all those girls you screwed? I was kicking so much sand in your eye, I couldn't figure out why you weren't getting it!" He exclaimed. "Then Bren tells me you've got brain damage. It's just too good."

"Where are they, Roy…the women?" Sam asked calmly.

"Scattered…In the wind," Roy smirked evilly. "They're like me now. You killed one monster, you made so many more. Congratulations. The only question is, do I kill you…Or turn you?"

Dean finally cut himself free with a glass shard, and he attacked Roy. Roy threw Dean, and then picked him up by the throat.

"No!" Brenna yelled. "Roy, stop!" She begged as she ran over to free Sam and Angela.

Once he was freed, Sam grabbed his machete and decapitated Roy.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela stood outside of Brenna's house. Brenna stood right outside the door, tear streaks evident on her face.

"Brenna…" Sam trailed off. "Look, I am so sorry." He said sincerely. "Brenna, I-I mean, I…"

Brenna opened the door and walked into her house. She closed the door without even turning back to look at Sam. Sam's shoulders sagged, and he sighed deeply.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were back at the abandoned house. Sam was sat on a chair and Angela stood behind him, combing her fingers through his hair.

"You okay?" She asked softly.

"You guys were right," Sam answered grimly. "We shouldn't have come back here."

"Look at the bright side," Dean started. "You did kill uh…spiderman." He shrugged.

Sam sent Dean his signature bitch face. "So, you're suggesting what I did back there was a good thing?"

Dean sighed. "I'm just saying—

"What?" Sam cut him off.

Angela sighed from behind Sam. "Baby, you…you have to understand that all that crap last year—all of it—none of it was you."

Sam stood up and turned to face Angela. "Let's be crystal clear, okay?" He replied. "It was me. It was me who fed Roy to the Arachne, it was me who fed Dean to that vampire, and it was me that almost _killed_ you, Angela!"

Angela clenched her jaw slightly and she folded her arms across her chest. "I refuse to believe that." She replied. "I-It was a version of you, but it was a version that was missing the most important part." She added. "Can you honestly tell me that you would knowingly hurt me now that you have your soul?"

Sam paused for a few moments and studied Angela. "I would never knowingly hurt you. Not after all the crap I've put you through."

"And do you care about me? Do you love me?" Angela asked.

Sam nodded and walked closer to her. "Of course. When I saw you in that hospital bed…my heart broke. I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

Angela took his hands in hers and smiled softly. "Exactly." She murmured. "So, that guy who didn't have a soul? He wouldn't have said all that. He wasn't you, Sammy. You've got to believe me."

Sam paused and smiled a small smile. "What did I do to deserve you?" He murmured before he leaned down and kissed her softly.

Angela pulled away after a few moments. "Now that that's cleared up, can I get you anything?"

Sam snorted slightly. "What are you, my waitress?"

"She's just trying to make you feel better," Dean interjected. "Don't be a bitch."

Sam shook his head. "I'm fine." He assured.

Dean scoffed. "Yeah, you look fine." He replied sarcastically. "All we're saying is that everything's gonna be okay."

Sam sighed and looked between Dean and Angela. "I don't know. If I did this here, then who knows how many oth—

There was an audible thud as Sam dropped to the floor. Dean and Angela quickly knelt beside him.

"Sammy?" Angela asked as she gently took his face in her hands.

Sam's eyes were opened, but unseeing. He wasn't fully there.

"Sammy?!" Dean exclaimed. "Sammy, talk to us!"

Sam lied on the floor and memories of Hell started flashing through his mind. He remembered the Cage, the burning, the screaming…He was starting to remember it all.


	27. Mannequin 3: The Reckoning Part 1

Sam was unconscious on the floor. Angela gently held his face in her hands.

"Sam?" She asked, worry evident in her voice. "Sam. S-Sam? Come on."

Dean started to shake Sam. "Sammy!" He exclaimed. "Come on, come on. Come on, dammit."

Sam's eyes snapped open. Hellfire flickered in them and then faded out. Sam groaned and exhaled sharply.

"Hey, hey, hey, baby." Angela murmured. "You with us?"

Sam just breathed deeply and groaned. Dean and Angela hauled Sam off of the floor.

"Come on. Come on, got to get you out of here." Dean said.

Sam just grunted in response. Dean and Angela shared a worried look.

~/~\~

Sam groaned lightly and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"How do you feel?" Angela asked, worry lacing her voice.

"Like I got hit by a…planet," Sam replied.

"Well, lucky for you, I'm a doctor," Dean replied. "I got joe, grub, and…" He trailed off and held up a bottle of pills, shaking them.

Sam's brows furrowed. "What are they?"

"Effective," Dean replied with a small smirk.

Sam shook his head. "I'm okay. Thanks."

"Suit yourself." Dean shrugged before he put away the pills.

Sam exhaled sharply. "So, how long was I out, again?"

"About two or three minutes," Angela replied. "Why, what'd it feel like to you?"

"About a week, give or take," Sam replied with a shrug.

Angela gently took her hand in his. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sam raised a brow. "It?"

"Yeah, whatever that was," Dean interjected. "I mean, it was like you were freakin' electrocuted."

Sam sighed deeply. "Look, I mean, it wasn't fun, but I-I'm…Fine."

"Fine," Angela repeated, not believing him. "You…You saw hell, didn't you?" She asked with a frown. "Sammy, y-you could have died."

"Angie, come on." Sam sighed.

"No, I'm serious, Sam!" She replied. "And none of this 'it's just a flesh wound' crap! We did it your way and every bad thing that we said would happen happened. So please—let the past stay the past, Sammy." She rambled, her voice wavering.

Sam clenched his jaw slightly. "So, I'm supposed to just ignore it?" He asked. "I'm just supposed to ignore what I did to you?"

"Yes!" Angela replied. "Because we can't lose you… _I can't lose you_ …Not again." Her voice cracked slightly. She took her free hand and wiped away any oncoming tears.

Sam sighed softly and shook his head. "Angie…I might've done…who knows what, and you guys want me to just forget about it?"

"You shove it down, and you let it come out in spurts of violence and alcoholism," Dean interjected. "And a lot of sex."

"That sounds healthy," Sam replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, works for me." Dean shrugged.

Sam just sighed.

"It's not a joke," Dean replied. "Your life is on the line here, Sam. This is not a debate. I mean, first you were a-a soulless dickbag, and now you're not. So, we good?"

After a slight pause, Sam let out another sigh. "Yeah. Sure." He conceded. He wrapped an arm around Angela's shoulders and gently pulled her to him.

"Good." Dean nodded. "Well, let's get your mind off it, shall we? You, uh, up for a job?"

"Well, what do you got?" Sam asked.

"Janitor murdered in a college lab last night," Angela explained. "Doors were locked, nobody else in or out of the building."

"Great." Sam nodded. "Where to?"

"Paterson, New Jersey," Dean replied. "Hey, maybe we'll have a Snooki sighting." He chuckled.

Sam's face scrunched up slightly. "What's a Snooki?"

Dean's smile disappeared, and his brows furrowed. "That is a good question."

~/~\~

Dean looked at an anatomy dummy that was in the science lab and he started removing pieces. "Check it out. This thing's friggin' awesome!" He laughed. He handed Sam the plastic heart from the dummy. "Be my valentine."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Dude, we're working. Put it back."

Dean put on a fake pout. "Have a heart."

"Dean!" Sam explained.

Dean laughed. "Angie, your boyfriend's a buzzkill." He commented. Dean sniffed the air. "You smell sulfur?"

"Yeah, Dean, we're in a science lab," Angela replied obviously.

Dean paused for a moment. "Right." He nodded. He checked his phone and saw that Lisa was calling him.

"Who is it?" Sam asked.

Dean didn't answer Sam and just rejected the call.

"So, Lisa?" Sam raised a brow.

"Maybe you should mind your own business." Dean snapped.

"What's wrong with just talking to her, Dean?" Sam sighed.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Dr. Laura. That's—that's very insightful. Look at that—our time's up."

Angela's EMF meter started to go off. "Hey, guys."

"Whoa," Dean muttered. "Ghosts gone wild. Something's up in here."

"Question is, what?" Angela asked.

"Guys, good news." Dean gestured to the security camera. "Big brother's watching."

~/~\~

"Hey," Dean said, clearing his throat. "So, what'd you find out from the, uh, mop jockey's girlfriend?"

Sam sighed. "Nothing." He shook his head. "Just how great he was—went to church, donated to charity, rubbed her feet during _Glee_."

Dean's face pinched in disgust. "I just threw up in my mouth."

"Sorry," Sam replied. "Anyway, I checked his record—spotless. What about the science building? Anything?"

"Built in '05. Nothing weird about the land." Angela shrugged. "Before this, the biggest mishap was some genius accidentally spilled sulfuric acid on his…delicates."

"They don't even dissect anything good in there." Dean scoffed. "Anything bigger than Kermit, they use an iPad."

"So, we got nothing?" Sam raised a brow.

"Yeah, a big steaming pile of it." Dean sighed.

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela were in the mannequin factory. The EMF meter started to go off rapidly.

"Guys?" Sam asked.

"Yeah?" Dean replied.

"This thing's humming." Sam frowned.

"Hmm." Angela hummed as she looked around.

"Wait." Sam paused. "Dean, that anatomy dummy you were molesting at the lab." He said, causing Angela to let out a snort.

Dean frowned and looked at Sam. "Excuse me?"

Angela composed herself. "Huh. Sam's right, what if that's what this is about?"

Dean looked even more confused. "What exactly are you two accusing me of?"

Angela rolled her eyes. "We don't mean that. I mean, there was an anatomy dummy there, and here…"

"You're joking." Dean scoffed. He frowned when Sam and Angela remained serious. "You're not joking. Okay, uh, so, what, we've got—we've got a bunch of killer dolls like…Chucky?" He asked. "I mean, come on, that's—that's just…friggin' creepy."

"I mean if ghosts can possess humans and—and move objects, why can't they possess this?" Sam asked.

"I suppose. But riddle me this, ghosts aren't exactly known for hopping county lines, right?" Dean raised a brow.

"True." Angela nodded.

"This one hits up a college and now a factory, what, three towns over?" Dean asked.

Sam shook his head. "Doesn't add up."

"So we dig. Over there." Dean replied as he waved his hand in front of a mannequin's face. "I don't like the way Kim Cattrall's lookin' at me."

~/~\~

"Well, this dead guy's as squeaky clean as the last dead guy." Dean sighed. "I can't find a speck of dirt on him. What about you guys?"

"Nothing." Angela sighed as she scrolled through the article on the computer. "Hmm. Well, here's a speck. Uh, a seamstress named Rose Brown went missing over a year ago."

"Uh, cops just gave up on her." Sam continued. "Last seen at the factory, presumed dead. Survived by sister Isabel."

"50 buck—vengeful spirit," Dean replied.

"Pay sis a visit?" Sam asked. "Alright."

Dean's cell phone started to ring. Dean sighed when he saw that it was Lisa.

"Answer it," Angela said gently.

Dean paused and finally answered the phone. "Lisa?"

 _"Finally."_ Ben's voice came through the speaker. _"I've been calling."_

"Ben?" Dean asked, surprised. "What are you—

 _"Something's wrong with mom."_ Ben cut him off.

Dean's frown deepened. "What are you talking about?"

 _"It's bad, Dean,"_ Ben stressed.

"Define 'bad'." Dean pressed.

 _"I-I don't know. S-she won't talk to me."_ Ben stammered.

"Alright, put her on the phone," Dean replied.

 _"She won't come to the phone,"_ Ben complained.

"Ben, get your mom and put her on the phone," Dean demanded.

 _"I-I-I can't,"_ Ben replied. _"Her door's locked. She barely gets out of bed. I'm not kidding. Please, just—just come help me. I-I don't know what to do."_

Dean sighed deeply. "Alright, let me call you back."

"Dean—

 _"Five minutes."_ Dean cut him off.

~/~\~

"Come on, guys, I-I can't just leave," Dean said, obviously conflicted.

"Dude, you got to leave," Sam replied.

"Yeah, but we're talking life or death here." Dean sighed.

"Dean, we can handle it for 24 hours," Angela assured. "We all have to deal with the past year, okay? Even you."

Dean just sighed and shook his head.

"Come on," Sam said, nudging him towards the Impala.

~/~\~

"So, you and Rose were close, huh?" Angela asked softly.

"Very." Isabel nodded. "Our parents died when we were little, so we had each other."

"What was she like?" Sam asked.

"Um, kind…giving," Isabel replied. "She had the biggest heart. But people gave her a hard time."

Angela's brows furrowed. "How come?"

"She was shy, a little awkward." Isabel shrugged. "I guess that made her an easy target. I feel like I've been defending her my whole life."

Sam smiled a small smile. "I'm sure she appreciated it."

"Well, it went both ways," Isabel replied. "She did more for me than anybody else ever could. I just miss her."

Angela noticed a photo album on the coffee table. She looked at Isabel. "Um, may I?"

"Sure. Please." Isabel nodded. "Oh, it's a company Christmas party a couple years back." She said, pointing at one of the photos.

Sam looked at Isabel and raised a brow. "Wait, you worked at Salzman & Sons, too?"

"Well, everybody works at the factory." Isabel shrugged. "That's Rose."

~/~\~

Sam and Angela walked out of Isabel's house. Sam was on the phone with Dean.

"Dean, hey, get this." Sam started. "That college janitor? He worked at the factory, too, until last year. Apparently, he quit right after Rose's disappearance."

 _"So, fair bet something happened to that girl around that factory, so let's call that joint ground zero."_ Dean's voice came through the speaker.

"Right, but it still doesn't explain how a ghost ended up at a college in another zip code," Sam replied.

 _"It's not like she hopped the blue line,"_ Dean said in agreement.

"We're headed to the factory now," Sam explained. "We'll call when we get the whole scoop on Rose."

~/~\~

"So, how long have you been here with the company?" Angela asked.

"I've been here about three years now," Jonny replied. "I'm sorry, w-what's this got to do with me?"

Angela put on a reassuring smile. "Relax. Just a routine questioning."

Jonny nodded. "Oh. Okay."

"Uh, did you know Rose Brown?" Sam interjected.

"Uh…Maybe." Jonny shrugged. "Uh, the name sounds kind of familiar."

"She was a seamstress here," Angela replied. "She went missing about a year ago. Here." She pulled out a picture of Rose. "You mind taking a look?"

Jonny studied the photo. "Uh, yeah, I-I saw her around."

"Anything you can tell us about her that might help?" Sam asked.

Jonny shifted slightly. "Uh, look, I'd love to help, but I don't know anything. And, uh, I'm about to be late back from break, so—

"You seem awfully nervous, Jonny," Angela noted.

Jonny shrugged. "Well…those guys that died were my friends. O-of course I'm gonna be upset."

Angela pursed her lips. "I didn't say upset. I said nervous." She replied, handing him a business card. "In case you…remember anything."

~/~\~

Dean stood outside of Lisa's house and he shifted nervously. He finally brought his hand up and rang the doorbell. Lisa opened the door as she put on an earring. Her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Dean, what are you doing here?" Lisa asked.

Dean looked her over. "Well, you look absolutely fine."

"What's going on?" Lisa pressed.

Dean exhaled sharply. "We've been 'parent trapped'."

Lisa looked even more confused. "What?"

"Ben sent out a 911," Dean replied.

"Why would he do that?"

"You're going on a date, huh?" Dean deflected.

Lisa sighed. "Come in."

~/~\~

Dean sat at Lisa's kitchen table. He watched as she paced. "You want to sit down?"

"Not so much." She replied.

"So, who's the guy?" Dean asked curiously.

"Who's the guy?" Lisa scoffed. "His name is Matt. He's a doctor."

"Oh, Dr. Matt. How respectable." Dean replied sarcastically.

Lisa folded her arms across her chest. "Really? That's how this is gonna be?"

"Look, I-I—

"I called you six times, Dean." Lisa interrupted.

"And I almost called you back about 100," Dean replied.

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Good to know."

"Lis, Ben called me. I dropped everything and ran." Dean replied. "If you want to know if I care—

"Doesn't help me." Lisa cut him off.

Dean visibly deflated. "What do you want from me?"

Lisa shook her head. "I'm not asking for anything."

"Well, then ask for something!" Dean exclaimed.

Ben walked into the kitchen and looked at Dean and Lisa. "Um…"

"Go to your room!" Dean and Lisa yelled at the same time.

Lisa turned back to Dean. "You know, I…I can't. Ask for something. I know what I want." She said. "But, I can't have it—Not how you live. My phone rings, I think—tiny chance it's you, big chance it's Sam or Angela calling to tell me you're dead."

"Lis…" Dean trailed off.

"No, don't. Don't apologize or anything." She replied. "It's just…It's just I get to this place where I'm okay, and then you show up at our door. You keep doing that, every time I think I'm never gonna see you again. I'm trying to get over you." She explained. "What are you trying to do? What do you want from us, Dean?"


	28. Mannequin 3: The Reckoning Part 2

Jonny exhaled, his breath visible.

"Come on." Angela rushed.

"What's going on?" Jonny frowned.

"That ghost was trying to kill you for being a dick," Sam replied.

Jonny's brows furrowed. "What?"

"You know what?" Angela said. "You're lucky you are the most suspicious interview of all time. I figured something like this would happen."

Jonny looked at her, clearly confused. "Figured something like what would happen?"

"Buddy, look, we don't have time for the big speech, alright?" Sam replied. "So, brass tacks—Rose is back."

"That's crazy!" Jonny exclaimed.

Angela rolled her eyes. "Look, you're gonna end up like your friends unless you tell me what you did to Rose. Do you want us to help you or not?"

Jonny shook his head. "It was just a stupid joke." He said. "You know, I mean, you—you—you play jokes. We didn't think it was that big of a deal."

Angela narrowed her eyes. "What did you do?"

Jonny sighed, regret evident on his face. "We made Rose think she had a secret admirer. I don't think the girl had ever been asked out in her life." He answered. "Honestly, we just thought she was kind of pathetic…So we knew she'd take the bait. She was so excited." He shook his head. "The poor girl never saw it coming. It was mean, but you know how it is when a group of guys get together. They—they act like jackasses." He justified. "It happened so fast…We didn't mean for it to happen. And then it was too late. It was an accident. Steve said there was only one option. I wish I could take it all back."

Angela shook her head and looked at Jonny in disgust. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you do."

"I-I didn't kill her," Jonny said weakly.

Angela squared her shoulder. "Okay. Look me in the eyes and tell me none of it's on you." She replied. Jonny avoided looking at Angela and she scoffed. "Pathetic."

Sam gently pulled Angela away from Jonny. "Look, we're not saying you deserve to die. We can help you."

"How?" Jonny asked, obviously scared.

"You have to tell us where she's buried," Sam replied.

"In the woods, a clearing off Canyon Run Road," Jonny explained. He went to step over the salt line, but Sam stopped him.

"No, no, no, no," Sam said quickly. "You're not going anywhere."

"But I—

"You need to stay inside the salt line until we tell you that you're safe," Sam instructed.

"You just want me to stand here all night?!" Jonny exclaimed.

"Consider it getting off easy." Angela glared.

~/~\~

Ben sat on his bed playing video games on his phone. Dean leaned against the doorway.

"Well, that's ridiculous," Dean commented. "Plants could never kill a zombie."

"You think I'm gonna say, 'I'm sorry'?" Ben asked.

"And why would I think that? Because you lied to get me here?" Dean retorted.

"It was an emergency." Ben defended.

Dean sighed. "A date's not an emergency, Ben."

"It is if it's the third one," Ben replied. "I watch TV. I know what that means."

Dean cleared his throat slightly. "Well, your mom's a grown-up. She gets to go out."

"Why won't you come home?" Ben asked. "Can't you just say, 'I'm sorry' and then come back?"

"I'm sorry. I can't." Dean shook his head.

Ben scoffed. "Can't or won't?"

"Both," Dean admitted.

"So, you hate Mom now?" Ben asked.

"What?" Dean's brows furrowed. "No, come on."

"So it's me," Ben replied.

"Ben, stop it." Dean chastised.

"Whatever I did, I'm sorry," Ben said sincerely.

"Listen to me," Dean said seriously. "You didn't do anything. You understand that? Look, one day you'll, uh…You'll get this when you're older."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Don't talk to me like I'm six."

"Okay, fine." Dean nodded. "It's like this, then. Just 'cause you love someone doesn't mean you should stick around and screw up their lives. So I can't be here."

"You think something will follow you home?" Ben asked.

"No." Dean shook his head. "No, I don't, but, I think my job turns me into somebody that can't sit at your dinner table. And if I stayed, you'd end up just like me."

"Why do you say it like you're so…Bad?" Ben asked.

"Well, trust me, I'm not someone you want to aim to be," Dean muttered.

"Don't I get a vote?" Ben raised a brow.

"No, you don't," Dean replied. "I'm sorry, Ben. But, you see, this way you got a shot at living whatever light you want. You know, pick one. Pick five. 'Cause with me, there's just one road."

"You're a liar, Dean." Ben accused.

Dean's brows furrowed. "Excuse me?"

"You say family's so important, but—but what do you call people who—who care for you, who love you even when you're a dick?" Ben replied. "You know you're walking out on your family, right?"

Dean looked at Ben dumbstruck. He was speechless…

~/~\~

Sam was on his cellphone as he and Angela watched Rose's corpse burn. "Alright, it's over. You're safe." He assured. "And, Jonny? Look at this as a new beginning. A lot of chances not to be a jackass."

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were at the crime scene. They saw Jonny's sex doll and Angela called Dean.

" _This is Dean's other, other cell, so you must know what to do."_ Dean's voicemail played.

"Hey, it's not over," Angela said. "Burning the remains didn't stop her. She's got to be hooked to something else. We're gonna head to the sister's now. Call us."

~/~\~

Sam was rummaging through a box of Rose's things. "So, um, this is it?"

Isabel shrugged. "I gave most of her clothes to the Goodwill. She didn't have much."

Angela noticed the college textbooks on the desk. "Those yours?"

"Yeah." Isabel nodded.

"Are you in school?" Angela asked.

"Mm-hmm, yeah," Isabel replied.

"Where?" Sam cut in.

"Uh, Great Falls." Isabel shrugged.

"So, let me guess…Um, you were at the chem lab and the factory this week," Sam said.

"Well, yeah," Isabel said obviously.

"Did you happen to stop by a bar called McOwen's last night?" Angela asked.

Isabel shrugged. "Everybody from the factory goes there. I stop in maybe three times a week. Why?"

Sam and Angela shared a look. Angela looked at Isabel. "That's it." She murmured. "So, this is all about you…"

"What? What is?" Isabel asked, clearly confused.

"The murders—your coworker, your college janitor," Sam said.

Isabel's eyes widened. "What, you—you think I could do something like that?!"

"No, no, no, no." Angela shook her head. "But—but you're at the center."

"Me? How?" Isabel frowned.

"What are you wearing of Rose's?" Sam asked. "A ring? A bracelet? Her baby teeth in a locket? What?"

Isabel started to back up slightly. "You're scaring me…"

"Just this, please." Sam pressed. "What—what do you have of Rose that you carry with you?"

"I-I'm…" Isabel trailed off.

"What?" Angela asked.

"Well, the only thing I have of hers is a part of me," Isabel replied. "When I was 16, she gave me one of her kidneys."

Angela's brows shot up. "Her _kidney?"_

"Yeah." Isabel shrugged.

"You're kidding…" Sam sighed.

"Will you please tell me what this is about?" Isabel pleaded.

"Yeah." Angela nodded. "Um…But we need you to come with us."

~/~\~

Dean looked at Isabel. "So, that the girl with the haunted kidney?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Well, just when you think you seen it all," Dean muttered.

"Right." Angela agreed.

"What do you want to do?" Dean asked. "Can't exactly burn the thing. I mean, she kind of needs it."

"Well, she can't just walk around with it." Angela sighed. "The spirit's attached. It's gonna use her to get close to anyone it wants revenge on. It's not gonna stop killing."

"Okay, so, what are you suggesting, that we cut it out of her?" Dean raised a brow.

Sam scoffed. "And then what? Leave her in a tub of ice with a phone taped to her hand?"

"Maybe we should call Dr. Robert," Dean suggested. "Might have some leads on some non-haunted, black-market replacement kidneys."

Sam's face scrunched up slightly. "He works out of a butcher shop."

"It's pretty clean." Dean shrugged. "You'd be surprised."

"No." Sam shook his head. "I think we have to go hoodoo."

"Hoodoo?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, hoodoo," Sam replied.

"That's more of a band-aid, not really a cure." Dean sighed.

"It buys us a minute." Angela reasoned.

"Alright, Louisiana it is." Dean nodded.

"Voodoo?!" Isabel exclaimed. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Actually, it's 'hoodoo'." Dean corrected. "It's a little different."

"Hold on, Isabel," Sam said softly.

"You're not feds," Isabel replied.

"Just let us explain." Angela pleaded.

The Impala started to rev up and Dean turned to look at it. He frowned. "No. No way." He shook his head.

"That's impossible," Isabel said, fear lacing her voice.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Dean said. "She possesses sex dolls! This—this is not a sex doll!" He complained. The Impala's lights turned on. "Hey, you leave my baby alone! She's got nothing to do with this!" Dean yelled. He frowned when the Impala drove towards them. "Go, go, go, go, go!"

"Okay, here, here, here." Angela ushered Isabel into a car. "Get in."

"Son of a bitch!" Dean yelled. He stood in front of the store window and shook his head. "I'm so sorry, baby."

The Impala charged at Dean and crashed through the storefront.

"Okay. You alright?" Sam looked at Dean.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." Dean nodded. "You guys?"

"Yeah." Sam and Angela replied in unison.

"Yeah, I'm…" Isabel trailed off. Blood started to pour out of her mouth and she looked down to find a giant glass shard sticking out of her stomach.

"Isabel?" Angela knelt down next to her. "Hey, hey." She soothed. "Hey, hey, hey, hey."

Rose's spirit appeared, and she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this." She said before she went up in flames.

~/~\~

Angela sat on Bobby's porch, biting her nails slightly. Her mind kept wandering back to the Arachne case, and the fact that she too needed to reflect on the past year. She turned slightly when she heard the front door open. She smiled a small smile when she saw Sam. "Hey." She greeted.

Sam sat down next to her. "Are you okay?" He asked softly.

Angela looked up at him, confused. "Yeah." She shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because I think you're putting up a front...I mean, you were a little harsh with Johnny," Sam replied bluntly.

"He was a dick," Angela shrugged.

"I won't disagree with you there, but, some of the stuff you said..." Sam sighed. "Look, I just wanna make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine." she lied.

"Angie, we all need to face what happened this past year...even you," Sam replied gently.

"Sometimes it's like you're in my head," Angela muttered. "Fine. I was thinking about the Arachne case, and it just brought back a lot of memories from the past year."

Sam shifted slightly. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"What do you want me to say?" Angela countered. "I mean, when you were soulless, you slept with god knows how many women. And then we had to work a case that was centered around you sleeping with other women. It's just...It's hard, okay?" She explained. "And, I know that if you had your soul at the time, then you never ever would have slept with those women or said the things that you said." She added. "I tell myself, and I tell you that the guy without the soul wasn't really you...But sometimes I don't believe what I say." She admitted.

Sam swallowed thickly. He had to admit, that was a hard pill to swallow. "You're stronger than I could ever be."

Angela looked up at him, her brows furrowed. "What? No way, Sam..."

"It's true," he replied. "You have been through so much crap, a lot of it being my fault. And you have forgiven me each and every time. I can't remember everything from this past year...but you can. And you still manage to forgive me."

"If the situation was reversed you would have forgiven me too," Angela replied.

"Angie, y-you forgave me after Ruby," Sam started. "When I didn't have a soul, I emotionally and physically hurt you, and yet...you forgave me again. And I swear to god, and every diety out there, I'm gonna spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

Angela smiled softly at Sam and rested her head on his shoulder. "You don't have to do that, baby."

Sam wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. "I want to. Because you deserve it."

Angela leaned up and pressed a sweet, loving kiss to his lips. "I love you, Sammy."

Sam smiled back at her. "I love you too," he replied. "In fact..." he trailed off as he stood up. He bent down and swiftly picked Angela up bridal style. "I'm going to show you just how much I love you," he smirked.


	29. The French Mistake Part 1

Sam and Dean walked into Bobby's house. Sam looked around with a frown. "Where are Bobby and Angie?"

"Supply run," Dean replied.

Sam looked outside the window and his frowned deepened at the pouring rain. "In this?"

"Yeah, they're heroes. We were officially out of hunter's helper." Dean gestured at his empty liquor bottle.

Balthazar suddenly appeared behind them. "Hello, boys." He greeted. "You've seen _The Godfather_ , right?"

"Balthazar…" Dean rolled his eyes.

"You know, the end, where Michael Corleone sends his men to kill his enemies in one big, bloody swoop?" Balthazar asked as he rummaged through some drawers. He found a container of salt and poured it into a bowl on Bobby's desk.

"Hey!" Dean yelled.

"Dead sea brine. Good, good, good." Balthazar said to himself. "You know, Moe Greene gets it in the eye, and Don Cuneo gets it in the revolving door?"

"I said 'hey'." Dean snapped.

"You did. Twice. Good for you." Balthazar sassed. "Blood of lamb. Blood of lamb." He muttered as he looked through Bobby's fridge. "Beer, cold pizza. Blood of lamb. Yes! Blood of lamb!"

"Why are you talking about _The Godfather_?" Sam asked.

"Because we're in it—right now, tonight," Balthazar replied. "And in the role of Michael Corleone—the archangel Raphael."

"You mind telling us what you mean?" Dean raised a brow.

"No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no." Balthazar mumbled as he emptied the contents of one of Bobby's desk drawers. "Yes. Bone of a lesser saint. This vertebra will do very nicely. Your Mr. Singer does keep a beautiful pantry."

Dean's brows furrowed. "Wait, Raphael is after you?"

"Raphael is after us all." Balthazar corrected. "You see, he's consolidated his strength. And now he's on the move."

"And where's Cas?" Sam asked.

"Oh, Cassie?" Balthazar raised a brow. "He is deep, deep underground. So, good old Raffy put out a hit list on every last Samaritan who helped our dear Cas—including you two and your friend Angela. And so much more importantly, me." He explained. "See, he wants to draw Cas out in the open."

Sam scoffed and shook his head in disbelief. "And you expect us to just believe you?"

"Oh, don't." Balthazar shrugged. "You'll go where I throw you either way."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean asked.

Lighting flashed, and Balthazar looked around. "That's all the time we have, gentlemen." He replied. He opened his jacket revealing a bloodstain on his side. "Where is it?"

Dean looked at the bloodstain. "Whoa." He frowned. "What happened there?"

"Oh. Garish, I know." Balthazar sighed. "You see, uncle Raffy sent one of his nastiest to handle me. I'm flattered, actually. And down a lung at the moment, but that's alright." He added before he handed Sam a pair of keys. "Oh, here's for you."

Sam looked down at the keys in his hand. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Run with it." Balthazar was instructed. He was suddenly thrown across the room as an angel, Virgil appeared. "Virgil." Balthazar greeted. He turned to Sam and Dean. "I said, run!" He yelled as he pushed them through a window which was marked with a bloody sigil.

Sam and Dean crashed through Bobby's window and landed on a mattress on a TV show set.

"Cut!" Bob Singer yelled.

A crewmember patted Dean on the rear. "Real good solid fall. Way to go."

"Jared, Jensen!" Bob Singer exclaimed. "Outstanding! That was just great."

" _Supernatural_ , scene one echo, take one." A crewmember said. "Tail slate. Marker!"

~/~\~

Sam looked around, obviously very confused. "So…" He trailed off. "No angels?"

"No angels, I think," Dean replied.

Sam's face scrunched up slightly. "Should we be killing anybody?"

Dean shook his head. "I don't think so…"

"Running?" Sam asked.

"Where?" Dean responded.

Sam picked up a piece of the 'window', which wobbled back and forth, clearly made of some kind of gel.

"Moving on!" Kevin yelled. "That's a wrap on Jared and Jensen!"

Sam's brows furrowed. "W-who the hell are—

"Jared!" An interviewer exclaimed. "Three minutes, okay? Great." She grabbed him by the hand and led him away.

Dean started to follow Sam. "Where are we going?"

"Jensen, there you are!" A makeup artist smiled. "Let's just get you in the chair." She instructed. "Your wife couldn't even track you down." She laughed.

Dean's brows furrowed in confusion. "Chair? _Wife_? _"_

"Okay, hon, we're just gonna get this makeup off your face." The makeup artist smiled.

"Wha—I'm not wearing any makeup…" Dean started. He looked at the cloth the makeup artist had just wiped over his face to find it covered in foundation. "Oh, crap! I'm a painted whore!"

The interviewer, Trish, led Sam toward a woman who looked exactly like Angela. The woman was typing something on her phone and Sam perked up when he saw her.

"Angie!" He exclaimed, walking over to her.

The woman looked up from her phone and laughed slightly. "Very, funny, Jared."

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. He was about to say something, but Trish cut him off. She was holding a microphone and looked at a camera with a large smile.

"Trish Evian here with Jared Padalecki and Lorelei McCann-Ackles from TV's _Supernatural_." Trish introduced. "So, Jared, Lorelei, season six." She grinned.

Sam looked over his shoulder into the set of the panic room and turned back in confusion. "What?" He asked. "Angie, what's going on?"

Lorelei looked up at Sam in confusion. "Jared, it was funny the first time, but come on..."

"You beat the devil, lost your soul, and got it back again." Trish recapped. "Now Sam and Angie are settling back into their relationship. Tell us, what's next for the couple?"

"Well, right now everything between them is fine," Lorelei answered. "But at some point, I think they're both going to have to face some pretty important things."

Sam didn't know what the hell was going on. "Look, I-I-I really don't—

Dean ran up to Sam and sighed in relief when he saw Lorelei, the woman who looked exactly like Angela. "Angie, oh, thank God."

Lorelei playfully rolled her eyes and walked up to Dean. "Very funny, babe." She laughed. Lorelei stood on her toes and tilted her head up to press a soft kiss to Dean's lips.

Dean froze in shock and waited till she pulled away. Dean cleared his throat and shot a quick glance at Sam, who had his jaw clenched in anger.

"Alright, well, I'll see you later tonight, babe." Lorelei smiled sweetly. "I do have the benefit dinner with Gen tonight, so I might be home late." She added. She patted his chest and walked away.

"Dude…" Dean trailed off.

"We need to get out of this universe," Sam said seriously. "Our life is a TV show, and a woman who looks exactly like Angie is all over you."

"Yeah, that's definitely weird." Dean agreed. "But why would anyone want to watch our lives?"

"Well, I mean, according to that interview, not very many people do," Sam replied. "Look, I'm not saying it makes sense. I'm just saying, we—we landed in some dimension where you're Jensen Ackles, Lorelei McCann, the woman who plays Angela is your _wife_ , and I'm something called a 'Jared Padalecki'."

"So what, now you're Polish?" Dean scoffed. "Is any of this making sense to you?" He asked as they exited the studio.

~/~\~

Dean sighed in relief when he saw the Impala in the backlot. "Oh, hey. Least my baby made it." He smiled. The smile was immediately wiped off his face when a crewmember started flinging mud onto the windshield. "Hey. Hey! What…" Dean trailed off when he saw three more Impala. "I feel sick. I'm gonna be sick. I want to go home. I feel like this whole place is bad-touching me."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Sam replied. "So, what do you think. Cas?"

"He's our best shot if he's still alive." Dean shrugged. He closed his eyes. "Dear Castiel, who art maybe running his ass away from heaven, we pray that you have your ears on. So…breaker, breaker." He said. He opened his eyes and looked around, his shoulders sagging in disappointment.

Suddenly, the brothers spotted Castiel a short distance away. They both sighed in relief.

"Cas? Cas! Hey, Cas!" Dean yelled, quickly walking over to him. "Oh, thank God. What is all this, huh? W-what did Balthazar do to us?"

Misha looked at Sam and Dean and cleared his throat. "To keep you out of Virgil's reach, he cast you into an alternate reality, a universe similar to ours in most respects yet dramatically different in others."

"Like—like Bizzaro earth, right?" Dean asked. "Except instead of having Bizzaro Superman, we get this clown factory."

Misha's brows furrowed. "Um…Yeah, well…Anyway, no time to explain. Do you have the key?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah." He replied as he handed Misha the key. "So, uh, what does this thing do, anyway?"

"It opens a room," Misha replied vaguely.

"What's in the room?" Dean asked.

"Every weapon Balthazar stole from heaven," Misha answered.

"He gave it to us?" Dean raised a brow.

"To keep it safe until I could reach you," Misha explained. "With those weapons, I have a chance to rally my forces."

"Oh." Sam nodded. "Okay, good. Yeah. So, now, uh, what's the deal with all this TV crap?"

Misha raised a brow. "Pardon?" He asked, reverting to his normal voice.

"Yeah. Amen, Padaleski." Dean nodded.

"Uh, 'lecki'." Sam corrected.

"What?" Dean frowned.

"Lecki. Pretty sure." Sam replied.

"Man." Misha sighed, pulling out his script. "Did they put out new pages?"

"New what?" Dean asked.

"I mean, is this some kind of cosmic joke?" Sam scoffed.

"Yeah, 'cause if it is, it's stupid, and we don't get it," Dean grumbled.

"Yeah." Sam agreed.

Misha frowned. "Are you guys okay? Lorelei said you were acting weird, but…"

Dean grabbed the script from Misha. "Give me that. What is—these are words in a script. This isn't Cas."

Sam frowned. "Dude, look at him."

Misha unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a patterned new age t-shirt underneath. "You guys want to run lines, or…?"

Dean scoffed. "His name's Misha? _Misha_?"

Sam shook his head. "Oh, wow. Just…Great."

"Misha? Jensen?" Dean shook his head. "What's up with the names around here?"

"You guys! You really punked me!" Misha laughed. "I'm totally gonna tweet this one." He said to himself as he pulled out his phone. "Hola, mishamigos." He said as he typed it out. "J-squared…got me good."

"I just want to dig my finger into my brain and scratch until we're back in Kansas," Dean muttered as they walked by a giant trailer.

"Hey." Sam pointed. "J. Ackles." He read.

"That's fake me!" Dean replied.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"This must be fake mine," Dean smirked. They entered the trailer and looked around curiously. "Dude, I have a helicopter!"

~/~\~

Sam scoffed. "Oh, alright, who puts a 300-gallon aquarium in their trailer?"

"Apparently, Jensen Ackles," Dean muttered as he looked around. There were photos of Jensen and Lorelei all throughout the trailer. "This is trippy." Dean shook his head.

Sam looked at one of the photos with a frown. It was clearly a photo from their wedding. "They look really happy…"

"Sammy, this isn't real." Dean sighed.

"It's real enough." Sam retorted. "I just wanna go home…" He added.

"Well, for now, let's see who this guy is," Dean said when he spotted the laptop. He typed in 'Jensen Ackles' and waited for the page to load. "Well, he's not a hunter, but he plays one on TV…" He muttered. "Oh." He picked up a magazine with Jared, Jensen, and Lorelei on the cover. "Come on…" He groaned. "Nice 'blue steel', Sam."

"Hey. Apparently, it's our job." Sam defended. "Alright, uh, here does. Um…It says you're from Texas."

"Really?" Dean raised a brow.

"Uh, you met Lorelei on the show…started dating and got engaged a year later…and then you two got married." Sam muttered "Oh. It says you were on a soap opera."

Dean frowned. "What?"

Sam played the clip of Jensen on _Days of Our Lives_. About halfway through the clip, Dean slammed the laptop shut.

"Don't like this universe, Sammy," Dean said. "We need to get out of this universe."

"Yeah. No argument there." Sam agreed. "But, I don't think our—our prayers are reaching Cas. Or the real Cas."

"Well, I agree." Dean nodded. "I think we are definitely out of, uh, soul-phone range. But…"

"What?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"If we can reverse Balthazar's spell…I watched every move." Dean shrugged as he sketched the sigil. "We just, uh, get the ingredients, right, get back to that same window, and…there's no place like home."

~/~\~

"Backbone of a lesser saint," Sam said as he pulled the bone out of Bobby's drawer. "Got it. Uh…" Sam frowned when he realized the bone was fake. "It's rubber."

"Check this out." Dean held up a prop dagger, bending it back and forwards. "Hey, look. It's fake." He jabbed the fake dagger at Sam's chest. "It's all fake! What are we supposed to do with this crap?"

~/~\~

"Of course everything is fake." Sam shook his head. "We're on a film set." He added as they approached one of the Impalas. "We got to get back to the real world."

"Yeah, now you're talking," Dean said as they got into the Impala and started driving. "Alright, we go round up the genuine articles, bring 'em here for the spell." He added. He frowned when the car started malfunctioning. "What the hell is going on? What is wrong with this thing?"

A crewmember ran alongside the Impala, knocking on the window. "Mr. Ackles! Mr. Ackles, please!"

"Uh, Dean?" Sam asked.

"God, Mr. Ackles, please!" The crewmember pleaded.

"Dean, it's not the Impala," Sam said.

"Please!" The crewmember explained. "Stop."

"You think?" Dean scoffed. "It's a frigging prop! Just like everything else." He complained as they stopped and exited the Impala.

"Oh, thank you." The crewmember sighed in relief. "Thank you. Thank you so much for…"

"How the hell are we supposed to get out of here?" Dean asked.

~/~\~

"You know whereabouts you want me to drop you off? Jensen?" Cliff asked.

"Me?" Dean raised a brow. "Yes. Um…I-I'll just tag along with…"

"Jared," Sam whispered.

"Jared…Jared here." Dean finished.

"Huh. Since when are you guys talking?" Cliff asked. "I mean, I know your wives are friends…"

"Yeah, uh, y-you know what, Clint, uh…" Sam started.

"Uh, uh, Cliff." He corrected.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, of course. Clif. Obviously." Sam nodded. "Um, so, uh, I think we're gonna go back to my place a-and do some…work."

"Work on our acting," Dean added.

"Yeah." Sam agreed.

"For our characters. For the show." Dean said.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

Cliff looked at them like they were crazy. "Alright…"

"Where the hell are we, anyway?" Dean asked. He looked up and saw a _Welcome to Vancouver_ sign. "Dude, we're not even in America."

~/~\~

Sam and Dean entered the mansion.

~/~\~

"Nice modest digs, Jay-Z." Dean scoffed.

"Wow," Sam said as he looked around. "I must be the star of this thing."

"Yeah, right," Dean muttered. "Check it out." He nodded towards a tanning bed.

Sam's face scrunched up slightly. "What am I, Dracula?"

"George Hamilton Dracula," Dean replied. He spotted a liquor cabinet and smirked. "Oh. Now we're talking." He nodded. He peered out the glass doors and his eyes went wide. "Dude, you have a camel in your backyard."

"It's an alpaca, dumbass," Genevieve said, leaning against the railing. She was in a little black dress and matching heels.

Lorelei walked up next to her. She was in a red, off the shoulder burgundy dress. "Hey, Jen!" She greeted, surprised to see him there.

"Ruby?" Dean asked, looking at Genevieve.

"Ruby, right." Genevieve scoffed. "That one never gets old…"

"They've been doing that all day." Angela laughed, shaking her head. "I think they've played these characters for far too long."

Genevieve shook her head and walked down the stairs, Lorelei following close behind her. "How was work today, hon?" She asked Sam before pressing a kiss to his lips.

Sam froze in shock and shot a quick glance at Dean.

~/~\~

Dean looked at Sam, eyebrows raised. "Wait. You and Ruby?"

"Jensen, stop it, this isn't funny anymore." Lorelei chastised.

"Right. Right, 'cause this is the lovely actress that plays Ruby." Dean smiled. "And you are, in…Jared's house, uh, because you two are…" He trailed off as he spotted a photo of Jared and Genevieve's wedding. "Married! You _married_ fake Ruby?" He looked at Sam.

"What are you doing?" Genevieve asked Sam.

Sam rocked back and forth on his heels. "Work. Work."

"Yeah, just, uh, thought I'd pop in, say 'hey'." Dean shrugged. "Hey. And…And of course, I wanted to see my beautiful wife." He gestured to Lorelei. "We're uh, gonna run some lines."

"Despite the fact that Lorelei is my best friend, you've never been to our house, Jensen," Genevieve replied.

Dean grinned. "Well, now that I know there's an alpaca out back, I'm definitely coming back."

"Well, alpacas are the greenest animal." Genevieve nodded.

"Right. Right." Dean replied. "That is so important."

"Well, there's that thing that Lorelei and I have to get to," Genevieve said.

"Oh, yeah. Of course, yeah. The thing." Sam replied vaguely.

Lorelei raised a brow. "The international otter adoption charity dinner?" She reminded.

"Oh." Sam nodded, his eyes lingering on Lorelei for a little too long.

"Okay, well…" Genevieve trailed off as she kissed Sam. "It's great that you guys are talking."

Lorelei pulled Dean down by the collar of his jacket and pressed a sweet, loving kiss to his lips. "See ya later, babe. Maybe we can actually start going on double dates, now."

They both watched as Genevieve and Lorelei left the room.

Sam closed his eyes and sighed. "Crap." He muttered. "Married to fake Ruby. Awesome." Sam added sarcastically.

"If Angie was really here she'd lose it…" Dean muttered.

~/~\~

Sam was sitting at a desk with a computer in front of a giant portrait of Jared as a cowboy with a suit of armor on either side.

"Wrist bone of saint and holy reliquary," Sam said. "Museum-quality, from the diocese in Oaxaca. Looks legit."

"Alright. Auction house in Mexico City." Dean said. "We could be there day after tomorrow. We, uh, case it, yank it, be back here by the end of the week."

"Or we could just buy it." Sam shrugged.

"What?!" Dean exclaimed. "Dude, that thing's over a hundred thou—

Sam just held up a black credit card.

"Huh." Dean nodded. "Hello, Jared Padalecki."

Sam was on the phone. "Cubrir a su amigo en la aduana, no? Bueno."

"Triple rush," Dean said. "No problemo. Because money is no—This baby's maxed." Dean tossed the credit card.

"Wow." Sam's eyebrows shot up. "They said it should be at the airport first thing in the morning."

"Money, man." Dean shook his head with a smile. "There is nothing like it. Alright. Couch. TV star. Beauty rest." Dean added before jumping onto the large black couch. "Ahh."

~/~\~

Sam walked into the hall and spotted Genevieve. "Hey!" He rushed over to her. "Hey. Hi. Hi, uh, Gen—Genevieve. Gen?"

"Gen." She replied obviously.

"Gen." He smiled. "Of course. Yeah. Um, so, h—how was the…otter thing?"

"It was good." She shrugged.

"Yeah?"

"Everybody missed you there." She replied.

"Oh. Wow. Wow. I bet." Sam nodded. "So—so listen, I-I got to ask you a question. Do you remember, uh, the year before last, all those disasters?"

Genevieve's brows furrowed in confusion. "Disasters?"

"Yeah. Yeah, yeah, the whole earthquake spike." Sam replied. "You know, the—the 9.2 in Rome? I mean, the—the 8.5 outside Boston? The whole east/west tsunami chain."

Genevieve looked at Sam like he was crazy. "Yes. I remember all those from last season on your show."

Sam froze. "No, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I-I know. I know. That—that's what I mean. That's what I was…" Sam took a drink from his beer.

Genevieve shook her head. "Lorelei was right. You and Jensen have played these characters for too long." She muttered. She kissed Sam and took his hand in hers, smiling seductively.

Sam swallowed thickly. "U-um, y-you know what? I-I have a lot of work, so I'm…gonna get on that." He stammered, dropping her hand.

Genevieve shook her head. "Whatever. You're being weird today."

~/~\~

Sam received a package from an airplane. "Thanks." He said before he started walking toward the black SUV.

~/~\~

"So, I don't mean to pry, but, uh, why are we picking up packages at 8:00 AM that haven't cleared customs yet?" Cliff asked.

"Just saving time." Dean shrugged as Sam entered the car. "Alright, here we go."

Cliff narrowed his eyes. "We're not doing anything illegal, are we?"

"Would it make you feel better if we said no?" Sam asked.

Cliff sighed, exasperated. "No."

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were on the _Supernatural_ set. They opened the package and looked up in surprise when the lights turned on.

"Whoa," Dean said. "What?"

"We finish today in 12 hours if it kills us all," Bob said. "Get 'a' and 'b' cam set for scene 12. What is this?" he looked at Sam and Dean. "Here for the first run-through, before anyone else? Dedication."

"Uh, can I talk to you for a sec?" Dean asked Bob. "Um, we're gonna need the, uh, cleared for—safe side, an hour or so."

Bob raised a brow. "You need it cleared."

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "Yeah. Me and, um…Jared were gonna do some actor stuff."

"Jensen, we're thrilled to see you collaborating so creatively," Bob replied. "And your enthusiasm is refreshing. Dean Cain was like that on _Lois_. And that man's a real actor. And we will clear this set exactly when we shoot the 2 3/8 pages we are scheduled to shoot on this set. So you do your 'actor stuff' and we'll do our 'camera stuff' and, uh…"

Dean walked away sheepishly. He sat in front of Misha, and Sam. Lorelei walked in and sat next to Dean, a look of concern etched on her face.

"Hey, you didn't come home last night," Lorelei said softly. "I'm glad you and Jared are talking, but I would have appreciated a call…I had to call Cliff and ask him where you were."

"O-oh." Dean stammered. "Right. Sorry about that."

Lorelei leaned over and kissed him softly. "Well, you can make it up to me later." She smirked.

Dean swallowed nervously and nodded. "R-Right…"

Misha peered over to look at the box that Sam had. "Ooh, 'priority'. What's in it?"

"I bought part of a dead person," Sam replied.

Misha paused and frowned. "Oh, cool."

Dean leaned over. "Uh, so bad news. Uh…Looks like we're gonna have to do a little acting." He muttered.

Sam's brows furrowed. "What?"

" _Supernatural_ scene 36, take 1. Marker!" Someone yelled.

"Action!" Bobby yelled.

Sam and Dean stood behind Misha and Lorelei stood in between Sam and Dean. Sam looked utterly terrified and Dean was staring earnestly.

"Balthazar is no hero," Misha said gruffly. "But he knows Raphael will never take him back." He added, turning around.

Sam flinched, and Dean walked forward slightly. He looked down at his mark and moved over to his right.

"Cut!" Bob yelled.

" _Supernatural_ scene 36, take 8. Marker!"

Sam seemed unsure of what to do with his arms and kept rearranging them.

"Balthazar is no hero," Misha said. "But he knows Raphael will never take him back."

Dean looked at the script in hand. "Dean, grimly. And yet, somehow you got no problem with it."

Bob looked utterly confused. "Cut!"

Misha and Lorelei shot each other confused looks. Misha mouthed 'what the hell'.

"Action," Bob said.

"That's because…That's because we have no other choice." Sam said.

"Don't look at the camera," Dean muttered.

Sam looked at him. "What?"

"Look anywhere but the camera," Dean said.

Sam looked up at the ceiling. "That's because we have no other choice!"

"Cut!" Bob yelled. "For the love of…" he muttered. "Action!"

Sam raised his arm stiffly. "If there's a key, then," he raised the other arm. "There must also be a lock."

"Cut." Bob sighed deeply.

"If there's a key…then there has to be a lock," Sam said. "And when we find the lock, we can get the weapons, and then we can have the weapons. And the lock. We'll still have the lock, I imagine, because we've opened it, and, of course, the initial key."

"We need to get all three of that crap," Dean said quickly.

"What?" Sam asked.

"That's how he talks." Dean shrugged.

"Oh," Sam muttered.

Dean looked out the window at Bob. "Do we really need all these lines? I mean, I-I think we've covered it. Right?"

"Cut!" Bob yelled. "What is happening? What's happening?!"

Sam shook his head as he looked at the script. "Who wrote this? Nobody says 'penultimate'!"

"Gun, mouth, now," Dean muttered.

"Moving on!" Kevin yelled.

"Thank God." Dean sighed in relief.

Misha looked at Lorelei, clearly confused. "What's wrong with them?"

Lorelei shrugged, just as confused. "No idea."

Sam and Dean rapidly unpacked the package and assembled the spell.

"Alright, dammit. We earned this." Dean said. He quickly completed the blood sigil on the window.

"That's it?" Sam asked.

"That's it, Toto." Dean nodded.

Sam and Dean came crashing through the window, but they just landed on the other side of the set. Everyone turned to look over at them.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were in Jensen's trailer.

"Maybe we did it wrong," Sam suggested.

"No." Dean shook his head. "No, that—that spell was perfect. It should have worked."

"What if it can't?" Sam asked. "Look, I was up all night, looking online. There's no sign that anything like the apocalypse happened here. Ever. And as far as I can tell, monsters, ghosts, demons—they're all pretend."

"So nobody's hunting them?" Dean raised a brow.

"No hunters." Sam clarified. "Look, maybe that's why our spell didn't work, Dean, you know? M-maybe here, there's no supernatural, no magic."

"No demons, no hell, no heaven, no—no god?" Dean frowned.

"Something like." Sam shrugged. "Even better—no angels."


	30. The French Mistake Part 2

Sam and Dean walked in front of the green screen where two stunt doubles were punching each other next to the Impala.

"Okay, maybe we can't get out of, uh, you know, earth number two right now, but the least we can do is get the hell out of the Canadian part of it." Dean scoffed slightly.

"Yeah." Sam agreed.

"I hear one more conversation about hockey, I'm gonna puke." Dean continued to complain.

"Wait a minute." Sam paused. "This way, this way, this way," Sam instructed, pointing down one of the hallways.

"No, no, no, no, no." Dean shook his head. "It's this way. It's this way!"

"No, Dean, look, I really…I really think that we should…" Sam trailed off as he spotted Virgil. "Dean!"

"You think you can run?" Virgil growled. He put a hand on Dean's forehead, intending to smite him, but nothing happened.

"No!" Sam yelled.

"Sorry, dude." Dean shrugged. "Mojo-free zone." He added before he punched Virgil.

"No magic in the house." Sam agreed.

"Which makes you nothing but a dick," Dean added.

"You know, I oversee all the stunts, coordinate all the fights," Lou smirked at the woman he was talking to.

"That's exciting." The woman smiled flirtatiously. She gestured to where Sam and Dean were punching Virgil. "Is that one of yours, then?"

Lou looked over at the fight and his face fell. "Guys!" He called his stuntmen over.

"Not good! Not good!" Kevin exclaimed as he ran towards the scene.

"No, no, no!" Sam yelled as he was pulled off of Virgil. "Stop! You don't understand! No, no, no!" He fought against them. Virgil quickly grabbed the key from Sam's pocket.

"You're dead, Virgil!" Dean threatened. "Virgil! I'm gonna break your friggin' neck!"

~/~\~

Lorelei ran over to Sam and Dean. Her brows were furrowed in both confusion and worry. She stopped in front of Dean and looked him over to make sure he wasn't injured.

"Jensen, I heard what happened…" Lorelei trailed off. "What the _hell_ were you thinking?"

"He came at me first…" Dean defended weakly.

Lorelei shook her head and gently took his face in her hands. "That doesn't give you the right to beat him up, Jen." She chastised. "Security would have dealt with it…" She added as she checked his face for injuries. "Are you okay?"

Dean pursed his lips and pried her hands off of his face. "Look, lady, I need you to back off." He replied bluntly. "I have work to do. Important work."

Lorelei's expression changed from worry to pure hurt. "What the hell is wrong with you recently?" She asked, her lip quivering slightly. "It's like I don't even know you." She murmured before she turned away and quickly walked off.

Sam looked at Dean and raised a brow. "Really? You had to snap at her like that?"

"I just wanna get the hell out of here," Dean replied. "Huh…Maybe Virgil's got a way to get back." He changed the subject. "I mean, he broke through and all."

"Or he has no juice here, and now he's stuck, like us." Sam sighed.

"Yeah, either way, I want to finish kicking his ass," Dean grumbled.

~/~\~

Bob rushed over to Sam and Dean. "There you are, guys!" He exclaimed. "You got a minute?"

Sam paused. "Actually, we're—we're looking for, uh—

"For that extra you tried to kill?" Bob cut him off. "So, is it money? Is this the kind of act that goes away if we can scare up some coverage on a raise?"

Dean scoffed. "More money? You already pay these two jokers enough as it is."

"Yeah." Sam agreed.

"Because I'd like to think that over these years, we've grown closer," Bob replied. "That you don't think of me as 'director Bob' or 'executive producer Bob Singer', but as 'Uncle Bob'."

Sam's brows furrowed. "Wait, you're kidding." He replied. "So, the character in the show, Bobby Singer—

"What kind of douchebag names a character after himself?" Dean scoffed.

Sam shook his head. "Oh, that's not right."

Bob sighed deeply. "Okay, guys, let's begin again."

"Yeah." Sam and Dean replied in unison.

"You know, I don't think Virgil would have shagged out of here without getting his mitts on that key," Dean said.

"Yeah. Yeah, I agree." Sam replied.

"Guys…You can't come to work on poppers and smuggle kidneys in from Mexico and make up your own lines as you go!" Bob exclaimed. "You cannot make up your own lines! Good God, what about your careers?"

"You know what?" Sam retorted. "Screw our careers, Bob."

Bob went wide-eyed in disbelief. "What?!"

"You heard my brother." Dean narrowed his eyes. "That's right, I said 'brother'. 'Cause you know what, Bob? We're not actors. We're hunters. We're the Winchesters. Always have been, and always will be. And where we're from, people don't know who we are." He explained. "But you know what? We mattered in that world. In fact, we even saved the son of a bitch once or twice. And yeah, okay, here maybe there's some—some fans who give a crap about this nonsense."

Bob frowned. "I wouldn't call it nonsense."

"But, Bob Singer—if that even is your name—tell me this, what does it all mean?" Dean asked.

Bob nodded. "Okay. This is good. I mean, we've all had our psychotic breaks, right? I can work with this."

Sam rummaged through his jacket pockets and frowned. "Dean. Virgil…I think he has the key."

Dean pursed his lips and nodded. "We quit." He told Bob, who looked panicked.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were in the Padalecki mansion.

"Maybe we can get on the police dispatch system," Sam suggested.

"Put out an APB on Virgil." Dean nodded. "Might work, if he stays obvious."

"It's not like we have a lot of time." Sam sighed.

Genevieve and Lorelei were in tears as they ran towards Sam and Dean.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" Genevieve sobbed.

"What?" Sam asked, concerned.

"Misha!" Lorelei cried. "He's been stabbed to death!"

Sam and Dean looked at each other and then the distraught women. "Where?" they asked at the same time.

Genevieve and Lorelei looked at the two men like they were crazy. "Where?!" Genevieve and Lorelei exclaimed incredulously.

~/~\~

"Yeah, yeah, Raphael." The homeless man said. "Like the ninja turtle. He was calling someone named Raphael, up in heaven. Yeah, yeah. That's right. The—the scary man killed the attractive crying man, and then he started to pray." He recalled. "And the strange part—after a while, I s-swear I heard the voice, answering."

"What did it say?" Sam asked.

"Well, it didn't make any sense." The homeless man shrugged.

"Try us." Dean pressed.

"The voice said, for Virgil 'to return tomorrow' at the place where he crossed over, 'at the time of the crossing'." The homeless man replied. "And Raphael would 'reach through the window and take him and the key home'."

"Uh, okay." Dean nodded. "Hey, thank you." He added, handing the man 50 Canadian dollars.

"Uh…Dean, if Virgil gets back with that key, Cas is dead, and our world is toast," Sam noted.

"Well, then we stop him. I mean, how bad can an angel with no wings be?"

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were on the _Supernatural_ set.

"You know that if we drop Virgil, get the key, then this might be it," Dean said. "We might be stuck here."

Sam shook his head. "No, we'll figure out a way back."

Dean shifted slightly. "I don't know, Sam…You have a pretty good life here."

Sam's brows furrowed. "What? Dean, our friends are back there. _Angie is back there._ "

Dean nodded. "I know. And I understand, believe me. But, the hits have been coming since you were six months old—

"I don't want this life, Dean." Sam cut him off. "I don't care about the money…and I don't want to be married to Ruby. I love Angie, and yeah, we don't live a _normal_ life by any means…but I can't imagine it without her."

Dean smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, she really keeps us on our toes." He replied. "Alright, let's get our crazy show back home."

~/~\~

"I don't think we have gunfire on the call sheet today, hmm?" Kevin asked.

Suddenly, Virgil stormed onto the set and proceeded to shoot the crew. Screams erupted throughout the set.

"Hey!" Sam yelled.

Dean lunged at Virgil and punched him. Sam joined the fight and took the key back from Virgil.

"Dean! Got it!" Sam exclaimed. He frowned when he noticed the glowing sigil on the window. "Raphael. Run!"

Sam and Dean suddenly flew backward through the window.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean appeared outside of a cheap-looking motel. Raphael was there, possessing a middle-aged woman.

"You two…Have the strangest luck," Raphael commented.

"Raphael?" Dean raised a brow. "Nice meat suit. Dude looks like a lady."

Raphael squeezed her fist and caused Sam and Dean to bend over in pain. "The key." She said as she picked it up from the ground.

Balthazar suddenly appeared with a smirk on his face. "And that will open you a locker at the Albany bus station."

"Really." Raphael narrowed her eyes.

"You see, I needed a modest decoy to make it more convincing," Balthazar replied.

"Give me the weapons," Raphael demanded.

"Sorry, darling." Balthazar shrugged. "They're gone."

"What?!" Raphael roared.

"I said, _too bloody late_ ," Balthazar replied. "You see, they were so well-hidden that I needed time to find them. So, I volunteered these two marmosets for a game of fetch with Virgil. You two were an adequate stick. Thank you." He smiled slightly. "Thank you, boys."

"You've made your last mistake." Raphael snarled.

"Oh, I've got a few more up my sleeve, honey," Balthazar smirked.

Castiel appeared next to the Winchesters. "Step away from him, Raphael." He demanded. "I have the weapons. Their power is with me."

"Castiel." Raphael greeted.

"If you don't want to die tonight, back off," Castiel warned.

Raphael stood for a moment with an icy glare before she eventually disappeared.

"Well, Cas…" Balthazar said. "Now that you have your sword, try not to die by it." He added before he disappeared as well.

Castiel brought the brothers back to Bobby's house.

~/~\~

Angela was sitting at Bobby's kitchen table, worrying her lip with her teeth. Her head snapped up when she heard the familiar flutter of wings.

"Sam! Dean!" She exclaimed as she stood up. She ran over and threw herself into Sam's arms.

Sam tightly wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into the crook of her neck. "God, I am beyond happy to see you." He mumbled.

"I was so worried about you guys," Angela replied. "Bobby and I came home, and y-you guys were gone…What the hell happened?"

"It's a long, _long_ story." Dean sighed. "But damn, it's good to see you, kiddo."

Sam pulled away from Angela and rounded on Castiel. "Cas, what the hell?" He asked. "Wait, wait, you were in on this, using us as a diversion?"

"It was Balthazar's plan," Castiel admitted. "I would have done the same thing."

"That's not comforting, Cas." Dean sighed.

"When will I be able to make you understand?" Castiel asked, frustration clear in his voice. "If I lose against Raphael, we all lose. _Everything._ "

"Yeah, Cas. We know the stakes. That's about all you've told us!" Dean snapped.

"I'm sorry about all of this," Castiel replied sincerely. "I'll explain when I can." He added before disappearing.

"Friggin' angels," Dean grumbled.

Sam knocked on the kitchen wall. "Solid." He sighed in relief. "It's real. Nice."

"Yeah." Dean sighed. "Yeah, real, moldy, termite-eaten home sweet home. Chock full of crap that wants to skin you. Oh, and, uh, we're broke again."

Sam wrapped an arm around Angela's waist and pulled her close to him. "Yeah. But, hey…I wouldn't have it any other way."

Angela rested her head on Sam's upper arm. "You know, you're gonna have to tell me what happened eventually."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela had collectively decided to stay at Bobby's for the night. Sam and Angela were in one of the guest rooms.

Angela had her head on Sam's chest and her finger traces lazy patterns across his skin. "So, Balthazar sent you to an alternate universe where our lives were a TV show…?"

Sam nodded and rubbed the small of her back lazily. "Yeah, it was crazy." He muttered. "The actress who played you was married to the actor who played Dean. His name was Jensen Ackles…"

" _Jensen_? What kind of name is that?" Angela scoffed. "You said the actor who played you was named Jared Padalecki...Was he married?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, yeah, he was married to the actress who played _Ruby…_ "

"Really?" Angela raised a brow.

"Nothing happened. Promise." Sam assured with a small smile.

Angela nodded. "I know. I trust you, Sammy." She replied. "So, you gave up all that money and that picture-perfect life, so you could come back to me?"

"Well, yeah," Sam replied obviously. "I don't care about money. And if I had a picture-perfect life, I'd want to have it with you."

Angela leaned up and kissed him sweetly. "I love you."

Sam kissed back immediately, having missed the feeling of her lips against his. "I love you too." He murmured. "Also, I have to say, seeing someone who looked exactly like you all over Dean…It was beyond weird."

"Mmm, well, I am all yours, Sam Winchester," Angela replied. "Promise."

Sam swiftly pulled Angela on top of him and she straddled his hips. "Oh yeah?" He smirked. "Do you mind, uh, proving it?" He asked seductively.

Angela smirked back at him and leaned down to kiss him deeply. "I have _all night_ to prove it to you, baby."


	31. And Then There Were None Part 1

"I've been getting blasts from hunters all week," Bobby said as he circled points on a map with a red marker. "Nest of vamps. Werewolf dance party. Shifters, six of them. Two hunters died taking them out. Ghouls, ghouls. Ghoul-wraith smorgasbord."

Dean's brows furrowed as he studied the points that were circled. "Is it just me, or is that a straight kick-line down I-80?"

"Exactly," Bobby replied.

"Looks to me like it's a Sherman march monster mash," Dean commented.

"Yeah, but where are they marching to?" Angela asked with a shrug.

Bobby circled another point on the map.

Sam looked at the map and then at Bobby. "What is it?" Sam asked curiously.

"Guy bashes in his family's heads," Bobby answered.

Sam, Dean, and Angela shared a curious look between each other.

~/~\~

Rick stared at the table he was handcuffed to. "It's like I told the cops. I blacked out."

"Well, just tell us what you _do_ remember," Angela replied gently.

Rick shrugged weakly. "Driving my regular route, and then I-I woke up in my truck at work."

Sam's brows furrowed slightly. "And where's work?"

Rick glanced at Sam and the focused back on the table. "Starlight Cannery." He answered. "I-I didn't remember how I got there…So I called home." He explained. "When no one picked up…I-I went there, and I found…" He trailed off, his voice wavering.

Bobby was leaning against a nearby desk. "Anything unusual before you blacked out?" He asked, causing Rick to just shake his head. "Sights, smells, anything off the routine?" Bobby pressed.

Rick shook his head and sniffled. "No. Basic night." His voice cracked. "I was giving some kid from the truck stop a ride." He remembered vaguely. "She took off. I-I think she took off."

"Anything else?" Dean asked.

Rick looked up and the hunters with tears in his eyes and shook his head. "I swear—I didn't mean to do it." He cried. "I-I loved them."

Angela nodded. "We're going to do everything in our power to find out what happened, Rick." She replied gently. "You have my word."

~/~\~

Sam was rapidly typing on a computer keyboard. Dean and Angela sat on either side of him and Bobby stood behind the three hunters.

Dean looked at the computer screen in confusion. "So, demon possession or ghosts?" He raised a brow. "I thought this was a monster thing."

"Alright, here we go," Sam said when he found something. They all watched the security camera footage of the night Rick had picked up the hitchhiker. "Truck-stop, the night of the murders."

Dean pointed as they watched the footage. "That's him." He noted. He shifted when he saw Eve approach Rick. "Hmm…Hello."

Sam paused the camera while Even was facing it and her face was grotesque and distorted.

Angela frowned deeply. "What the hell is that?"

"Bobby?" Sam asked, still staring at the computer screen.

Bobby leaned forward to get a better look. "I've never seen that in my life." He replied. "All those vamps and ghouls out on I-80—maybe they're coming in for Mother's Day."

Dean sighed deeply and stood up, shoving his hands into his jacket pocket. "Um…Okay, well, if that is big mama—whatever she is, we got zero on ganking her," Dean replied. "So, what are we gonna do if we run into her? Throw salt and hope?"

Bobby shook his head. "No, we're gonna turn tail and run, because we're in over our heads." He said seriously.

Dean pursed his lips. "I mean, we better get some real info on this bitch before we do run into her."

A blond officer quickly hung up the phone and looked at his colleagues. "Hey, let's go." He commanded before he quickly got up and started walking.

Angela stood up and stopped him. "Officer, uh, what's the ruckus?"

"A guy just went postal down at the Cannery." The officer replied.

"Okay," Bobby said, looking at the three hunters. "I'll go. You three finish here."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were at the Cannery grabbing some supplies from the Impala. They all looked up when the heard a car pulling up and they grinned when Bobby and Rufus stepped out.

"I don't even know why you have a driver's license," Rufus muttered.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Dean smirked.

"It really is good to see you, Rufus." Sam smiled.

"I can believe it," Rufus replied. "It must get old dealing with this miserable cuss here all by yourself." He jerked his thumb at Bobby.

"Is it that obvious?" Angela teased as Rufus pulled her into a hug.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Why don't you four get a room?"

"Alright, we all pack a snack?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Let's see what we can see," Dean instructed.

~/~\~

They all walked into the Cannery with their flashlights on. So far there was nothing unusual in the building. They took the elevator down to the storage level and saw something move. The door opened, and Gwen stepped out, flinching at the flashlights being in her face.

"Gwen?" Dean asked, not really believing it was her.

"Dean." She replied.

Samuel appeared behind her, and Angela stalked towards him with her gun raised.

"Welcome to next time." Angela snarled, pointing the gun at his head.

Sam grabbed Angela and lowered her arm. "No, no, no, no! Hold on, Angie!"

Angela looked at Sam, her jaw clenched in anger. "I said I'd kill him!"

"Look, just a second." Sam tried to calm her down.

"I take it you know each other," Rufus interjected.

"He's our grandfather," Dean said, glaring at Samuel.

"Oh," Rufus replied. "Somebody needs a hug…" He glanced at Angela.

"Why are you here?" Bobby asked suspiciously.

"We're working," Samuel replied. "You?"

"None of your damn business!" Angela snapped angrily.

"Sam, take Angie for a walk," Bobby instructed.

Angela looked over at Bobby, her brows furrowed. "You got to be kidding me."

"Look, Angie, it's fine," Sam said gently.

Angela looked up at Sam. "How? How is it fine?"

Sam sighed and gently led her out of the room. Angela eventually turned her back on Samuel and pushed the door open. She rounded on Sam, glaring.

"What is wrong with you?" Angela seethed.

"Look, maybe he knows something, Angie." Sam rationalized.

"You don't remember what he did," Angela replied. "I do, Sam."

"I know." Sam nodded. "I'm not saying don't. I'm saying not yet. Please, baby."

Angela looked over Sam's shoulder at Samuel, her jaw clenched in anger. She looked back at Sam and turned on her heels, storming off.

"Baby, come on…" Sam sighed, starting to follow her.

"I need some air, Sam!" She snapped.

Sam sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He reluctantly re-entered the room.

"So…You're Samuel," Bobby said.

Samuel looked Bobby over and smirked slightly. "You must be the guy pretending to be their father."

Bobby narrowed his eyes at Samuel. "Well, somebody ought to."

"Dean." Samuel greeted. He looked at Sam and paused. "Sam. You're looking well."

"Save the small talk, alright?" Sam replied bluntly.

Samuel's brows furrowed slightly. "You seem different."

"I got my soul back," Sam replied. "No thanks to you, I hear."

"You hear?" Samuel asked, slightly confused. "You don't remember." He realized.

"I remember enough," Sam replied.

"I, uh, really hate to break up this little circle of love, but why don't we talk shop, huh?" Rufus interjected. "How about you tell us what it is you're hunting?"

Samuel paused for a few moments, shooting a quick glance at Gwen. "A creature from Purgatory. She calls herself Eve."

Samuel sat on a nearby table. "Yep. They call her mother." He replied. "She was here about 10,000 years ago. Every freak that walks the face of the earth can be traced back to her. And she's back."

"How the hell do you know all this?" Bobby asked skeptically.

Samuel scoffed slightly. "You don't know half the things that I know, kid. Hell, until recently, you didn't even know about us."

"I now know that you'd throw your own kin to hungry ghouls," Bobby replied. "I think I know enough."

Gwen frowned and looked at Samuel. "You _what_?"

"Dean and Angela lied to the man." Samuel snapped.

Dean shook his head in disbelief. "You son of a bitch…"

Gwen looked at Dean, her brows furrowed. "Is it true?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "But hell, ask Angie if you don't believe me."

Gwen shot Samuel a look and nodded. "Good idea." She muttered. Gwen exited the room and approached Angela. "Angela. Is it true?"

Angela's brows furrowed. "What?"

Gwen pursed her lips. "Did Samuel really try to—

"Kill me and Dean?" Angela interrupted. "Yes. He didn't even blink. That's the guy you're rolling with."

"He didn't tell me anything about that," Gwen replied honestly. "I didn't know."

"I know. I believe you." Angela replied. "Um, honestly, there's something I need to tell you."

"What?" Gwen asked curiously.

Angela pulled out her gun and shot Gwen in the heart, causing her to fall backward.

From inside the room, the others heard the shot and ran outside. Sam checked for Gwen's pulse, and the stood back up to look for Angela.

"Angie!" Sam called out. "Angie, come on!"

"See if you can plug that hole up, Bobby," Rufus instructed.

~/~\~

Rufus attempted CPR chest compression on Gwen, while Sam and Dean searched for Angela.

"Come on, girl!" Rufus exclaimed. "Come on! Come one! Come on!"

Bobby sighed deeply and shook his head. "She's gone."

Rufus stopped the chest compressions. "Ah, dammit." He sighed.

Bobby looked up at Samuel. "I'm sorry…If you care."

Samuel glared at Bobby. "Screw you. I care."

Sam and Dean came back, shaking their heads.

"Is she, uh…" Sam trailed off. The lack of a reply gave him his answer. He sighed deeply.

"Where's Angela?" Rufus asked.

"We couldn't find her," Dean replied. "Whatever got into those guys must have gotten into Angie."

Bobby stood up and wiped his hands on a rag. "Rufus, help Samuel move her somewhere." He instructed. "Sam, Dean, and I will lock down here. We're gonna want to find Angie before she finds us."

Samuel just stood there quietly, his jaw clenched in anger.

Sam looked at Samuel intensely. "We're gonna find her _alive_ , Samuel." He said seriously. "Or I'm gonna put a bullet in your head."

Sam, Bobby, and Dean walked through the Cannery, locking the doors. Sam sighed when a rat scurried past them. He dialed Angela's number and then heard it ring.

Rufus spotted Angela with her gun raised. Rufus raised his gun as well. "Angela, put that damn thing down." He instructed as Samuel ran over, aiming his gun at her. "Angela put it down," Rufus repeated.

Angela held her gun tightly and aimed it Samuel. "You're the least of my worries right now, Rufus."

Sam, Dean, and Bobby entered the room and Sam ran towards Angela.

"Hey, hey, hey," Sam said gently. "Baby, put the gun down."

Bobby looked at Rufus and Angela. "Okay, both of you."

"Both of us, my ass." Rufus retorted.

"I'm not in the mood," Angela replied. "I just had a 12-inch… _thing_ crawl out my ear!"

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

Angela looked up at Sam. "You heard me. I just woke up on the ground, just in time to see this—this worm thing sliding out of my damn ear into that vent! So please, tell me what the hell is going on!"

Samuel kept his gun trained on Angela. "You killed Gwen. That's what's going on."

Angela looked out Samuel, confusion clear on her face. She glanced at the floor and lowered her gun. "W-We were just talking out in the hallway…That's the last thing I remember." She replied honestly. "That thing must have jumped me."

"So, we're talking about, like, a monster that gets in you?" Bobby asked.

"It's like a Khan worm on steroids." Angela shrugged.

"Like a parasite." Dean nodded. "Something that took over your body."

"Worm crawls in you, worm crawls out," Angela replied.

"Monster possession?" Rufus raised a brow. "That's novel."

"Or that thing's still in you, and we can't trust a word that you're saying." Samuel scoffed.

Angela pointed her gun back at Samuel. "It's not!"

Bobby paused for a moment. "Check your ear, Angie."

Angela looked at Bobby like he was nuts. "What do you mean, check my ear? Check my ear for what?"

Rufus took a few tentative steps toward Angela and stuck his finger in her ear. Angela jumped slightly.

"Hey, what the hell?!" She snapped. "What? Why don't you buy me a drink first?"

Rufus examined his finger. "Second date. Oh, yeah, we're goo positive."

Angela looked at everyone, clearly wanting answers. "What does that mean? What does that mean?"

"That means it was in you, alright," Rufus replied.

"Or it still is." Samuel countered.

"It's not in me!" Angela yelled.

Bobby grabbed a bag from the wall. "Okay. Everybody give up your guns."

"What?" Samuel frowned.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, think about this for a second, Bobby," Rufus interjected.

"Bobby's right." Dean sighed. "We don't know who does or doesn't have that thing in 'em."

"It's _not_ in me!" Angela repeated frantically.

"We're not saying it was," Bobby replied. "Point is, we don't know who it is. It could be any one of us. So, the best we can do…is to make it that much harder for that thing to blow our fool heads off." He added, putting his gun in the bag.

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Rufus put their guns in the bag as well. They all turned to look at Samuel, who was still holding his weapon.

"Are you waiting for a handwritten invite?" Dean raised a brow.

Samuel reluctantly gave up his gun. They went back into the room and locked their weapons in a locker.

Bobby turned back to face everyone. Sam held Angela close to him in a tight embrace.

"Okay," Bobby said. "We need some time to breathe, make a plan."

Samuel scoffed. "A plan? Based on?"

"I'm gonna make a few phone calls, see if anybody ever heard of anything like this," Bobby replied.

"Hmm." Rufus nodded. "Ditto. Got a few trees I can shake." He added as he pulled out his phone.

"Oh, balls, Allard," Bobby said into the speaker. "No, I told you that."

Rufus flipped his phone shut. "Dammit."

Samuel got up suddenly. Sam stepped in front of him to block his path.

"Relax," Samuel said. "Bathroom break. So, unless you want to hold it for me…" He trailed off. When no one replied Samuel walked out of the room.

Dean, Sam, and Angela looked at each other before they followed Samuel.

~/~\~

Samuel came around a row of lockers and found Dean, Sam, and Angela waiting for him. He looked at the three other hunters and sighed.

"What?" Samuel asked.

"Nothing." Dean pursed his lips. "I'm just wondering how you sleep at night."

"Like a baby." Samuel shrugged. "Thanks for asking."

"You fed us to Crowley!" Angela interjected.

Samuel turned to look at her. "True, but what am I gonna do about it now? Do I blame you for wanting to kill me?" He asked. "Of course not. What I did was…But I'm not apologizing. I did what I did. I don't cry over spilled blood."

Sam scoffed slightly. "So, you really can just go on, like…"

Samuel let out a humorless laugh and looked at Sam, who was next to Angela. "Just because you're Dr. Jekyll at the moment doesn't mean you can get all high and mighty. Don't forget, we spent a year together."

"Yeah, we did." Sam nodded. "We're blood. And you _still_ sold me out."

Samuel took a few steps towards Sam. "Trust me, what I did pales in comparison to what you did, and on more than one occasion."

Sam clenched his jaw slightly and nodded. "Alright, tell me what I did."

"No." Dean cut in. "Sam, come on." He went to stand in between Sam, Angela, and Samuel. "The only reason you're alive right now is because we're working a job," Dean told Samuel. "The minute we kill this thing… You're next."

"Okay, then," Samuel replied, his voice sounding a little too chipper. "We'll just see."

Dean noticed black goo coming from Samuel's ear, and Samuel pulled out his gun. Dean grabbed his arm and angled the gun upwards. Samuel fired, but missed. He shoved the three hunters against the lockers and bolted.

Bobby and Rufus ran in, clearly worried.

"I heard a shot," Bobby said.

"Samuel!" Dean exclaimed.

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela entered the room where their guns were stashed. Bobby had the bag on the table.

"We lost him." Angela sighed.

"So, what's the plan?" Sam asked as they all grabbed their guns.

"We stick together," Dean replied. We got to keep track of this thing, who it's in."

They searched the Cannery. Suddenly, Sam grabbed Dean and pulled him back. Dean, Bobby, Angela, and Rufus pointed their guns at Sam.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Sam held his hands up. "Hold on. Look." He shined his flashlight down, revealing a wireline.

Angela shined her flashlight to reveal a red bucket propped above them. "Booby trap," Angela said.

"I'll be damned," Bobby muttered.

They stepped over the trap carefully and continued the search. Suddenly, a door slid closed behind Sam and Angela, cutting them off from the rest of the group.

"Hey! Hey!" Dean yelled as the door slid closed.

"Whoa!" Sam exclaimed. "Dean!" He tried to pry open the door.

"Sam! Angie!" Dean banged on the door. "Dammit. Son of a bitch."

"Dean?" Angela called out.

"Angie!" Dean exclaimed.

Sam and Angela pulled their guns out. "We're gonna go around, okay?" Sam called out.

"Alright," Dean replied. "Watch yourselves."

"Yeah," Angela replied.

"Come on," Dean instructed Rufus and Bobby.

Sam and Angela spotted Samuel and raised their guns at him.

"Don't move!" Angela snapped.

"Sam. Angela," Samuel said as he stalked towards them.

"Put your gun down," Sam demanded.

"What are you gonna do, son?" Samuel challenged. "You're not gonna shoot me. You got your soul back. You gonna shoot your own family?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't go with the whole family thing," Sam warned. "Try again."

Samuel took a few steps closer. "Mary's still my daughter."

"We said don't move," Sam warned.

Samuel took another step closer. "You're still named after me…"

"Don't move!" Angela yelled.

Samuel ignored Angela and stalked towards Sam. "Appears to be our moment, Sam. You still want to know about your summer vacation? I'll tell you all about it. You're dying to know, huh?"

"Yeah, I am," Sam admitted.

"Well, then, let's just put these down and talk," Samuel replied as he walked closer.

"Stop!" Angela demanded.

"It's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you," Samuel promised.

Sam immediately shot Samuel in the middle of his head. The older man fell backward, dead. Angela lowered her gun and quickly took Sam's free hand in hers.

* * *


	32. And Then There Were None Part 2

Sam let go of Angela's hand and slowly walked towards Samuel's dead body. Soon, Dean came running in.

"Sam! Angie!" Dean exclaimed in relief. His eyes fell on Samuel and he frowned deeply.

Bobby and Rufus rushed in and Bobby sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God." He sighed. He noticed Samuel's dead body and looked at Sam. "Drop the gun, Sam."

Sam slowly put his gun down and put his hands up.

"It's not in him!" Angela defended.

"Okay. That's great, Angie." Rufus nodded. "But, uh, we're just gonna cuff him up till we can be sure, okay?"

"It's in him!" Sam gestured at Samuel.

"Are you sure?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Yeah, I think."

Rufus narrowed his eyes slightly. "Either of you see anything come out of him…After he dropped?"

Sam and Angela shared a quick look at each other.

"I-I don't know…" Angela replied. "It all happened so fast."

They took Samuel back into the room and swabbed his ears.

"Tell me you got something." Dean pleaded.

Bobby pulled the cotton swab out of Samuel's ear. He sighed and shook his head. "Nothing."

Sam's eyes widened. "What?" He asked. "So—so you mean he wasn't a monster when I ganked him?"

"One way to find out," Rufus interjected. "Bobby, you still got a cranial saw in the car?"

Bobby scoffed. "Of course."

"You're not going alone," Dean replied.

"Oh, no, he won't," Rufus assured. "He won't. We will both grab some tools and see about getting some power in this place. And I want you, you, and you to…" He gestured at the younger hunters. "Okay, I want Angie to…You know what? If anything crawls out of anybody, somebody step on it."

"Yeah, don't worry," Angela assured. "We'll watch each other."

"Yeah, right," Rufus muttered as he and Bobby exited the room.

There was a long pause between everyone after Bobby and Rufus left. Dean walked up to the table and looked at Sam.

"You did the right thing, you know," Dean commented.

Sam glanced at him. "You mean you think I did…if it's in him and I'm me. This thing's playing three-card monte with us."

Angela looked up at Sam. "Sammy, I was there with you. Samuel was coming at us and you did what you had to do. It's not in you."

"You guys want to take this off, then?" Sam asked, motioning with his bound wrists.

Dean shook his head. "Not till we get that sucker out of his walnut."

Sam nodded, understanding. "I don't know." He muttered. "I mean, I barely remember him, and what I do remember—it's not good. And what he did to us…But…"

Angela's brows furrowed. "There's a 'but'?"

Sam looked down at Angela and sighed deeply. "I mean, I just can't help but think…What would my mom say?" He shrugged weakly.

"I don't know your mom, Sammy, but…what I do know is that just because you're blood…that doesn't make you family," Angela replied softly. "You have to _earn_ that title. Family loves you unconditionally even when you make mistakes." She explained. "Your family will do everything to protect you no matter what…"

Sam's lips upturned into a small, loving smile and he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

Dean made a gagging noise, causing Sam and Angela to break apart and look at him. "Can't you two save the chick-flick moment for later?" Dean smirked slightly.

Angela rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're just jealous, Dean." She teased.

Dean let out a laugh and shook his head. He sobered up and looked at Sam. "She's right, though. Family runs deeper than blood."

Suddenly, the lights turned on and the three hunters looked around curiously. Bobby and Rufus came walking into the room.

"Well…Alright." Rufus sighed as he took the saw out of the bag. "Let's play Operation."

Bobby looked at Sam, Dean, and Angela. "You three want to take a breather?"

"We're good," Dean replied rather harshly.

Bobby narrowed his eyes. "We're about to crack open your grandpa's grapefruit. Take a breather."

Sam, Dean, and Angela reluctantly exited. Sam cast one last glance through the window before they walked off.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela frowned when they started hearing noises come from the other room. They ran to the door and frowned when they saw Samuel alive and kicking. He had a gash on his forehead from where Rufus tried to use the saw.

"Dean. Angie." Sam said.

Angela took out her knife and freed Sam's hands. Bobby threw Samuel against the frayed cabled and Samuel was electrocuted. The Kahn worm wriggled out of Samuel's ear and the three hunters stared in horror. They finally managed to kick the door open and they ran into the room.

Sam and Angela ran over to Bobby and Dean ran over to Rufus.

"Bobby, you okay?" Angela asked.

"Rufus. Rufus. Rufus." Dean said. "Hey, you alright? Wake up."

"Hey, hey, hey, hey." Sam helped Bobby up. "It's alright. We got you. Come on."

"Come on," Dean said as he helped Rufus up.

Rufus looked around. "This can't be my afterlife 'cause the four of you are here. What happened?"

"Well, when we left, he was dead on the table," Angela replied.

"Yeah, till he wasn't," Bobby muttered.

"So how did he get double dead?" Rufus asked.

"Bobby threw him against that." Dean pointed to the pole. "I guess it was a live wire. It shorted, and he went ape. Then that thing crawled out of his ear."

"At least we know what tickles it," Bobby said. "Electricity."

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Now the question is, where'd it go? You see?"

"No." Dean sighed.

Angela shook her head and pursed her lips. "Nope."

"You two were down for the count." Sam gestured to Rufus and Bobby.

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "Well, either it bailed or it's in either one of you."

"Or, it's in one of you." Rufus countered.

"No, we were awake," Angela replied.

"Did you have eyes on each other?" Rufus raised a brow.

"Yes," Angela replied.

"One hundred percent of the time?" Rufus clarified.

"Define one hundred…" Dean replied.

"Like I said," Rufus muttered.

"Alright, how about, uh, check for goo, right?" Sam suggested.

They all stuck their fingers in their ears.

Sam looked down at his fingers and shook his head. "Nothing."

"It might just be gone," Bobby said hopefully.

"No." Angela shook her head. "It might have wised up and covered its trail."

"Alright, let's settle this…one hundred percent," Sam said.

Dean's brows furrowed. "How?"

~/~\~

Sam stripped the cable and Dean plugged it in.

"You're live," Dean said.

"Okay." Sam nodded. He tested the cable by putting it to the chair, causing it to crackle. "Alright." He muttered, holding the cable against Samuel. Nothing happened. "Yeah."

Rufus pursed his lips. "Okay. I'm not a doctor, but I'm gonna go ahead and call this one."

"Yeah." Sam agreed. He looked at everyone. "Alright, who wants to go first?"

There was a long pause as everyone looked at each other. Finally, Angela shrugged off her jacket and held out her arm. "Alright, come on, let's do this."

Sam looked at her, eyebrows raised. "You sure, Angie?"

"Hurry up before I change my mind, Sammy." She replied. She clenched her jaw as Sam held the cable against her arm. "Son of a bitch…" She hissed in pain.

"Sorry, baby," Sam said softly, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek before he shot Dean an expectant look.

Dean sighed and nodded. "Alright, get it over with." He said. Dean braced himself for the shock and jumped slightly when Sam held the cable to his arm. "Whew. Awesome." Dean muttered. "Here, you want me to—

Sam ignored Dean and held the cable against his own arm, groaning in pain.

Dean gestured for Sam to hand him the cable. "Let's go."

"Yep," Sam replied, handing the cable over to Dean.

Dean walked towards Rufus and the older man took a few steps back. He held up his hands in a time-out sign.

"Uh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Rufus shook his head. "Uh, no, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Dean shook his head. "No passes, Rufus. Come on."

"I got a damn pacemaker!" Rufus exclaimed.

"Well, you better hope it's a good one." Dean shrugged.

Bobby looked at Rufus, his brows furrowed. "Since when do you got a pacemaker?"

Rufus looked back at Bobby. "Since Bush Jr., term one." He answered. "I'm down three toes, too, FYI. Alright, come on. Just make it quick."

Dean held the cable to Rufus's arm and the man groaned in pain.

"God! God! Dammit! Dammit!" Rufus staggered slightly.

"You okay?" Dean asked.

"No, I'm not okay." Rufus snapped. "Give me that." He muttered as he grabbed the cable.

"Okay. Alright, my turn." Bobby commented. "Well, it ain't inside me, so go right ahead."

Rufus narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Alright, then just stand still, Bobby."

Bobby backed up slightly and nodded. "Okay, sure."

"I'll make this quick," Rufus assured.

"No problem." Bobby shrugged.

"Alright?" Rufus raised a brow. "Let's do this."

"Okay, uh, just a second, Rufus." Bobby stopped him.

"Just a second nothing, whatever you are," Rufus growled.

"I'm Bobby!" Bobby defended.

"Bobby, my ass." Rufus walked towards him.

Bobby pulled out the knife that he was holding behind his back. He swiftly stabbed Rufus in the chest.

"Bobby!" Angela yelled.

Rufus fell backward, and Sam caught him quickly. Sam gently lowered Rufus to the ground.

"Rufus," Sam called out.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were on either side of Bobby. Bobby attempted to get around them, failing to do so.

"Bobby, there are three of us and one of you," Angela warned.

Bobby lunged at Sam, attempting to stab him. Sam caught a hold of Bobby and Dean punched him, knocking him unconscious. Angela tied Bobby to a chair using duct tape. A few moments later Bobby woke up groggily.

Bobby struggled against his bindings and glared up at the three hunters. Dean gripped the cable tightly and glared back at Bobby.

"Well, hey, there you little herpe," Dean said as he stood up. He walked over and held the cable against Bobby's neck, causing the older man to groan in pain. "Now, don't you even think about shagging ass out of here, 'cause we got every crack in this room sealed," Dean warned. "So, get comfy."

"I am comfy," Bobby replied, his voice slightly distorted. "It's nice in here. And you love this guy, don'tcha?" He taunted. "You really want to kill me and take him with me? Haven't you lost enough pals today?"

Dean clenched his jaw slightly. "We'll do what we have to do." He replied. "And we got some questions for you, so you can either play ball, or we could fry up a little shrimp on the barbie."

"Ask," Bobby smirked. "Been waiting for you to ask."

Angela narrowed her eyes. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I got nothing to hide," Bobby replied.

Sam protectively pulled Angela closer to him and glared at Bobby. "What are you?"

Bobby looked at Sam and his smirk grew. "You haven't got a name for me yet. I'm new around here. Eve cooked me up herself." He answered, causing the three hunters to cast a confused glance at each other.

Dean walked over to Bobby and held the cable to his neck again, this time for much longer. Bobby groaned and writhed in pain.

"Who is she, this Eve bitch?" Dean snapped.

"The mother of all of us, and the end of all of you," Bobby replied. "By the time she's done, there'll be more creatures than humans. You'll live in pens." He snarled. "We'll serve up your young and call it veal."

"And what's your deal in all of this?" Angela asked. "I mean, how's jumping a few truckers gonna help?"

Bobby scoffed slightly and shook his head. "You think I'm here to mess with a couple of Cannery workers? We led you here."

Sam's brows furrowed slightly. "Why?"

"She has a message for you," Bobby replied vaguely.

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Dean raised a brow.

"You're all gonna die," Bobby warned. "She's pissed. She's here. And it's gonna be nothing but pain for you from here on in."

Dean paused for a moment and nodded. "Well, here's my response." He replied, holding the cable to Bobby's neck again. Dean snarled as he kept the cable on Bobby's neck for a few moments.

Sam pushed himself from the table and grabbed Dean's arm. "Dean. Dean!" He snapped.

Angela looked at Bobby, concern written all over her face. "How much more do you think he can take?"

"You can't kill me, not without taking him with me," Bobby replied.

Sam, Dean, and Angela looked at each other for a moment, trying to decide what to do.

Dean pursed his lips. "Well…We'll just have to do what Bobby would want us to do." He replied. Dean looked at Sam and sent him a small nod.

Sam walked over so he stood behind Bobby. He roughly wrapped Bobby's mouth and ears shut with duct tape. When he was finished he walked back over to stand next to Angela. She wrapped her arm around Sam's waist comfortingly.

Dean leaned forward. "No way out, now slug-o!" He exclaimed. "Bobby, hang on in there." He muttered before he pressed the cable to Bobby's neck.

Sam's brows twitched slightly as he watched Bobby get electrocuted. Angela rubbed his back gently, trying to comfort him slightly, but she was struggling to watch as well. Sam closed his eyes tightly and turned away, unable to watch. Eventually, Bobby sagged forward.

"Bobby?" Dean asked, causing Sam to turn back around and open his eyes.

"Is he, uh…" Sam trailed off. "Hey, hey." He ran over to Bobby.

Angela followed suit and quickly peeled off the duct tape, causing the Kahn worm to fall out of his ear, dead. "Whoa. Bobby…" She gently held his face up.

"Bobby, hey." Dean shook him.

Sam shook his head. "He's not breathing." He muttered. "Bobby!"

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela stood in front of a newly covered grave. Sam had his arm wrapped around Angela's shoulders. The three of them stared at the grave silently and their heads turned slightly as Bobby walked up.

"I got to say, I never figured Rufus for the religious type." Dean broke the silence.

"Well, he didn't exactly keep kosher." Bobby shrugged. "He always used to pull the old 'can't work on the sabbath' card whenever we had to bury a body." He laughed slightly. He swallowed thickly before continuing. "You know, I-I was just a job. "I was Joe Mechanic. Then my wife got possessed…went nuts on me. I stabbed her, and that didn't stop her. Next thing I knew, this guy comes busting in, soaks her with holy water, and sends that demon straight to hell so fast. I'd have gone away for killing her. But…Rufus cleaned up everything. Taught me a thing or two about…what's really out there. Pretty soon, we were riding together. Worked like that for years, kind of like you three knuckleheads."

"So, what happened?" Sam asked curiously.

"It was Omaha." Bobby sighed. "It was my fault. And he never let it go."

"Well, he should have," Angela replied softly.

Bobby glanced at her, eyebrows raised. "You don't know what I did, Angie."

"Doesn't matter." Dean cut in.

Bobby scoffed. "What do you mean, it doesn't—

"I mean at the end of the day, you two are family." Dean interrupted. "Life's short, and ours are shorter than most. We're gonna spend it wringing our hands? Something's gonna get us eventually, and when my guts get ripped out, just so you three know, we're good." He explained. "Blanket apology for all the crap that anybody's done all the way around."

Sam's brows furrowed slightly, and he looked at the ground. "Some of us pulled a lot of crap…"

Angela smiled softly and shrugged. "Clean slate, Sammy."

Sam looked at her and paused for a moment. He still couldn't believe that after all the crap he put her through, that she still loved him. Sam smiled a small smile and nodded. "Okay." He murmured, kissing her forehead.

Bobby took out a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and poured some on the grave. Sam, Dean, and Angela stepped away to give him a few minutes alone. Bobby took a swig from the bottle and stared at the grave sadly.


	33. My Heart Will Go On Part 1

Bobby sat at his desk reading a book. He grabbed his near-empty bottle of whiskey and frowned at it before he down the rest of the amber liquid. He opened up a new bottle, ignoring the fact that Sam and Dean were watching him from the door to the kitchen.

Sam looked at Dean. "Say something." He whispered.

Dean's brows furrowed. "No. You." He whispered back.

Sam shook his head. "No. _You_."

Angela walked in just as the brothers prepared to play rock-paper-scissors. She rolled her eyes and walked past them. "Children." She muttered as she pulled up a chair and sat across from Bobby. "Bobby, you haven't slept in days." She commented.

Bobby looked up at her, a frown on his face. "I sleep." He muttered. "What are you, my wife now?"

"I'm just saying that you know, taking five might be a good thing," Angela suggested.

"For whom?" Bobby raised a brow.

Sam took a few steps towards the desk. "Look, Bobby, it was…it was tough for all of us, seeing Rufus go like that."

"You think this…This ain't about Rufus," Bobby replied seriously.

"Bobby, he wasn't just a poker buddy." Dean sighed.

"You know when I knew Rufus was done for?" Bobby asked. "The day I met him. The only question was, who first, him or me? Now, you want to stand here and therapize, or do you want to get me some coffee?" He asked. "Make it Irish."

Angela sighed and stood up. The three younger hunters walked out of the study and into the kitchen.

"Well, he's doing fantastic," Dean muttered.

"Yeah, this isn't about Rufus at all," Sam replied sarcastically.

"Well, what do you guys want to do?" Dean asked. "I mean, we can't just sit here and watch him poop out his liver."

"Well, we could get him out of the house," Angela suggested quietly. "There's a job."

"Really?" Dean asked curiously. "What've you got?"

Angela pulled a newspaper clipping out of her pocket. "Look. Chester, Pennsylvania. Three people got kicked off in the last week, all freaky." She explained. "The last guy got karate-chopped by his garage door. And these are all blood relatives."

"What are you thinking, family curse?" Sam asked curiously.

"Could be." Angela shrugged.

Dean nodded. "Hey, grumpy!" Dean yelled to Bobby, who had walked up behind them. "You, uh—

"I don't want to do crap." Bobby interrupted. "Leave me alone. Just, get out of my house, all three of you. You're driving me nuts."

"Bobby." Angela sighed.

"Now!" He snapped, frustrated. "For the love of Pete."

Angela looked at the brothers and just sighed.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela walked towards a black Mustang with two brown stripes going down the middle. The car had the same plates as the Impala. Dean put his bag in through the window and they got in the car.

"You know, maybe we should wait 'til she gets back…" Sam suggested.

"Sam, she just called from the road, said she'd be here in two shakes," Angela replied from the back seat.

"Besides, do you really want to sit around and smell him stew in his juices?" Dean added.

Sam grimaced. "Yeah, yeah. Drive."

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela investigated the scene. They looked around the garage with their flashlights.

Dean turned on the EMF meter and shook his head. "Not a bleep."

"Well, not a vengeful spirit, then. So, what is it?" Sam asked as he looked around. His flashlight landed on a gold thread on the floor. "Huh."

"What'cha got?" Dean asked as he and Angela walked over.

"What is that, Christmas tinsel?" Angela raised a brow.

"I don't know," Sam muttered. He grabbed a nearby flower pot and rubbed the thread against it. His eyes widened when it left a gold streak. "It's gold."

"You mean, like, gold, gold?" Dean raised a brow.

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why would a handyman have gold just lying around in his garage?"

"I don't know. There is definitely a skeleton in this family's closet." Dean replied. "I mean, accidents don't just happen accidentally." He added. Sam and Angela shot a confused looked at Dean, who rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

Sam nodded. "Alright. How about I'll go check family records, you two go with the next of kin?" He suggested.

"Yeah. Good idea." Angela replied.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela sat in front of Russo's desk, looking through some pamphlets. Russo stood behind his desk, talking on the phone.

"On the courthouse steps, for the deposition," Russo said. "No, I told you, 3:00 PM. No, my usual fees. I got to go, Ma." He sighed deeply before he hung up the phone. He sat across from Dean and Angela. "I'm sorry, uh, what department?"

Angela set down her pamphlet and smiled. "Genealogy." She replied. "From the university. We're doing a study on local families, and, well, the Russos are—

"Look, sweetheart, I got to tell you, I am extremely busy right now, so get to the point." Russo cut her off.

Dean eyed the man slightly. "Yeah, I-I'm sure you've had a rough week. We, uh, read about the recent tragedies. Your cousins, right?"

"Yeah. It's a shame." Russo shrugged. "But I'm not that close to my family, so, uh…" He sighed. "Is this gonna take long?"

"No." Angela shook her head. "Five minutes. Uh, can you tell us anything noteworthy about the Russos?"

"Noteworthy?" Russo repeated, raising a brow. "No. I mean, not exactly—average, you know, big, from Italy."

"Right." Dean nodded, jotting something down on his notepad. "Uh, was anyone ever killed or maimed in a war or, you know, some other violent thing?"

Russo scoffed and shook his head. "What do you mean?"

"Like…something so dark that it would sully future generations," Angela explained.

Russo's brows furrowed slightly. "Uh…No."

"Good. Good stuff." Dean replied as he kept writing. "Anyone own a slave?"

"What?" Russo asked incredulously.

Dean glanced up at him. "Routine question. Any ties to the Nazi Party?"

Russo's eyes widened. "Excuse me?!"

"Did grandma ever piss off a gypsy?" Dean asked curiously.

"Okay, you know what?" Russo replied as he stood up. "I don't know what kind of study you two are doing, but it's over. Right now. So, if you don't mind—

"Okay." Dean stood up. "I-I'll just cut to the chase. Um, your life is in danger."

"What?" Russo scoffed. "What is that, a threat? Are you threatening me?!"

"No, no, no." Angela shook her head as she stood up. "He's not threatening you, I promise. I-I'm sorry, we'll go, sir."

"I'm just simply saying that if you don't watch your back, you're gonna die." Dean continued.

"Get the hell out of my office! Both of you!" Russo yelled.

"Okay." Dean and Angela replied in unison.

"Now!" Russo roared.

Angela grabbed Dean's hand and practically dragged him out of Russo's office.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were walking on the sidewalk. Angela looked pissed and Dean glanced at her every now and then.

"I can't believe you!" Angela finally snapped. "Did you really have to threaten the man?!"

"When I was saying it, I-I didn't think it sounded like a threat…" Dean defended.

"How did that not sound like a threat to you?" Angela pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly frustrated. Suddenly, her phone rang, and she took a look at the caller ID. "It's Sam." She said as she answered the phone. "Hey, Sam."

 _"Hey."_ His voice came through the speaker. _"Find anything?"_

"Not really." Angela sighed. "Because _someone_ had to go and threaten the guy." She explained, narrowing her eyes at Dean.

 _"What?"_ Sam asked, obviously confused.

"Long story," Angela replied. "What about you, what'd you find?"

 _"Not much,"_ Sam replied. _"Great-grandparents born in Calabria. Emigrated in 1912. Been here ever since."_

"Seriously?" Angela asked. "Nothing suspicious at all?"

 _"Ha. Four generations of picket fence."_ Sam sighed.

"Well, if they didn't do anything, why are they all dying?" Angela asked. "Alright, we'll regroup at the motel." She added before hanging up. Angela went to get in the car, but Dean gently grabbed her hand.

"I'm sorry," Dean said sincerely. "I should've thought about my word choice…"

Angela smiled softly. "It's okay. Sorry I got so angry."

"So, am I forgiven?" Dean asked softly.

Angela's small smile turned into a grin as she nodded. "Yeah, yeah, you're forgiven, you dork."

Dean grinned and leaned down to press a sweet kiss on her lips. "Good. Can't stand when you're mad at me, sweetheart." He replied before they both got into the car.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela entered Anne's empty office. They looked around the room using their flashlights. Dean walked over to her desk and picked up her business card.

"Anne Witting." He read. "You sure she's not a Russo, a second cousin twice removed or something?"

"No, I checked the records _twice_ ," Sam replied. "She's not related."

"Well, if this isn't a family curse, then what the hell is it?" Angela asked.

"You got me." Sam sighed. "I got nothing." He added as he flipped through some papers.

Dean looked around and stopped when he spotted a golden thread on the floor. "Hold on." He said as he bent down to pick it up. "Not nothing…" He commented, showing the thread to Sam and Angela.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were in the motel room. Sam was on his laptop and Angela was looking through a book she had snagged from the library. Dean was sitting on one of the motel beds.

Dean held up the gold thread as he talked on the phone. "So, we found another piece of this, I don't know, shiny string."

 _"Oh, I was afraid of that."_ Ellen's voice came through the speaker.

Dean's brows furrowed. "Why? What's up?"

 _"Oh, these so-called accidents—we're seeing 'em nationwide,"_ Ellen explained. _"About 75 so far. I got Jo and her crew working on a cluster in California."_

"Blood relatives?" Dean asked.

_"Some yeah, some no. She's got about what you do— a pile of bodies and a whole bunch of gold thread."_

"So, what's it mean?" Dean asked.

 _"I don't know."_ Ellen sighed. _"I got Bobby working on it right now."_

"How's he doing, by the way?" Dean asked as he got up to get something to eat.

 _"Oh, don't worry,"_ Ellen assured. _"I'm kicking his ass back to health and happiness. He'll be okay."_

"Are you okay?" Dean asked.

 _"Aw, honey, you're sweet,"_ Ellen replied. _"You know me. I just worry about you three."_

Dean sat back down on the bed. "Yeah, well. Alright, so, all these corpses, anything relate 'em?"

 _"Well, actually, I did dig up one thing,"_ Ellen replied. _"I just don't know what to make of it."_

"Hit me." Dean shrugged.

 _"Well, it's a weird one, and it was buried pretty deep, but Bobby and I were combing through the family trees on all the victims, and we started seeing, well, the families all came over to America the same year,"_ Ellen explained.

"Hmm." Dean hummed.

 _"Yeah. 1912."_ Ellen replied. _"But, here's the weird part. They all came over on the same boat."_

Dean's brows furrowed slightly. "Really?"

_"Yep."_

"Alright, so what's so special about the boat?" Dean asked.

 _"Nothing."_ Ellen sighed. _"It was a boat. It did what boats do."_

"What was it called?" Dean asked.

 _"The Titanic."_ She replied. _"Did you ever hear of it?"_

"No." Dean sighed.

_"Yeah, me neither. I'll keep digging."_

"Alright," Dean replied before he hung up. He turned to face Sam and Angela. "Does the name Titanic ring a bell?"

"Titanic?" Angela asked. She paused for a moment to think and she shook her head. "No."

Sam looked up the Titanic on his laptop and sighed. "The RMS Titanic was the largest passenger steamship in the world when it made its maiden voyage across the North Atlantic in 1912." He read.

Dean shrugged. "So, what's the big friggin deal? It's a ship. It sailed."

"Yeah, I don't know," Sam replied. "Um…Oh, looks like there was a close call. Ship almost hit an iceberg."

"Almost? So?" Angela raised a brow.

"So, uh, looks like the first mate spotted it just in time," Sam said.

"Good for him." Dean shrugged. "There anything else?"

Sam's eyes widened slightly. "Wait a second."

"What?" Angela asked curiously.

"Uh, the first mate." Sam chuckled. "Mr. I. P. Freely."

Dean sat up. "Well, that's not suspicious. You got a picture of old Freely?"

Sam scrolled down to find the photo. His brows furrowed and he groaned. "Oh, you got to be kidding me."

Dean got up to look at the photo and Angela scooted her chair so that she was next to Dean.

"Let's see," Dean mumbled as he looked over the photo. His face visibly fell. "Balthazar."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela performed the summoning ritual and waited. The lights started flickering and suddenly Balthazar appeared.

"Boys, Angela." Balthazar greeted. "Whatever can I do for you?"

Dean turned around angrily. "We need to talk."

"Oh, you seem upset, Dean," Balthazar replied.

Angela rolled her eyes. "The hell with the boat, Balthazar?"

Balthazar's brows furrowed. "What boat?"

"The Titanic." Sam snapped slightly.

"Oh." Balthazar nodded. "The Titanic. Yes, well, uh, it was meant to sink, and I saved it."

"What?" Sam frowned, confused.

"Well, it was meant to bash into this iceberg thing and plunge into the briny deep with all this hoopla, and I saved it." Balthazar shrugged. "Anything else I can answer for you?"

"Why?" Angela asked.

"Why what?"

"Why did you un-sink the ship?" Dean asked impatiently.

"Oh, because I _hated_ the movie." Balthazar shrugged.

Dean's brows furrowed. "What movie?"

"Exactly." Balthazar laughed.

Angela pursed her lips slightly. "Wait, so you saved a cruise liner because—

"Because that God-awful Celine Dion song made me want to smite myself!" Balthazar defended.

Sam frowned. "Who's Celine Dion?"

Balthazar shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, she's a destitute lounge singer somewhere in Quebec, and let's keep it that way, please."

"Okay, I didn't think that was possible," Angela replied. "I thought you couldn't change history."

"Oh, haven't you noticed?" Balthazar asked. "There's no more rules, sweetheart."

Sam scoffed and shook his head. "Wow. The nerve on you. So, you just, what, un-sunk a giant boat?"

"Oh come on!" Balthazar exclaimed. "I saved people. I thought you loved that kind of thing."

"Yeah, but now those people and their kids and their kids' kids, they must have interacted with…with so many other people, changed so much crap!" Sam yelled. "You totally Butterfly-Effected history!"

"Dude. Dude." Dean cut in. "Rule on, no Kutcher references."

"Ah, yes." Balthazar sighed. "Unfortunately, there's still an Ashton Kutcher. And you still averted the Apocalypse, and there are still Archangels. It's mostly small details that were changed, well, except the fact that Dean and Angela are dating in this timeline, that's a pretty big one…" Balthazar explained. "But, you three don't drive an Impala, and of course, Ellen and Jo are alive!" he added as he walked to pour himself a drink.

The three hunters looked at each other, confused at all the information they received.

"Ellen and Jo?" Dean asked. "What?"

"Yes, they're supposed to be dead. You see, I saved a boat, one thing leads to another, which leads to another thousand things, and yadda, yadda, yadda." Balthazar explained. "To cut a long story short, they don't die in a massive explosion." He added as he took a drink. "Mmm. Anyway, let's agree I did a good thing. One less Billy Zane movie and I saved two of your closest friends."

"But, now somebody is killing the descendants of those survivors," Sam replied.

"And?" Balthazar asked.

"And that's maybe like 50,000 people," Sam added.

"And?" Balthazar repeated.

"And we need to save as many as we can, but we need to know who's after them," Angela explained.

"Oh, uh, sorry. You have me confused with the other angel—you know, the one in the dirty trench coat who's in love with you." Balthazar sassed. "I… don't care." He smiled before he took another sip. "Goodbye."

Balthazar disappeared, and Dean groaned angrily.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait. Son of a bitch!" Dean yelled.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela all sat together on one of the motel beds. Angela had her head resting against Dean's shoulder. Dean had Bobby on speaker.

 _"So, Balthazar un-sank a boat, and now we got a boatload of people who should never have been born."_ Bobby's voice came through the speaker.

"Yeah. Like, 50,000." Angela sighed.

 _"Makes sense,"_ Bobby replied.

Sam's brows furrowed. "How does any of this make sense?"

_"Because I got an idea who we're up against."_

"What?" Dean asked.

 _"Fate,"_ Bobby replied.

Dean frowned. "You mean—

 _"I mean Fate, like the Fates."_ Bobby cut him off. _"Or one of 'em at least."_

"You mean like Greek mythology?" Angela asked. "Like the sisters?"

 _"Bingo,"_ Bobby replied.

Dean looked at Angela and smiled slightly. "You are one cute nerd, you know that?"

Angela blushed and smacked Dean's chest lightly. "Stop." She smiled.

 _"Anyway."_ Bobby cut in, breaking the moment. _"These ladies are responsible for how you go down, literally. So, if you get creamed by a garage door or crunched by a copy machine, they're the ones who hammer out the details of how you die. Spin out your fate on a piece of pure gold."_

"Gold thread." Sam nodded.

 _"And then one of 'em writes it all down in her Day Runner of Death. It's high-level stuff."_ Bobby explained. _"Anyway, it fits. Now we know what Balthazar did. It seems to me that maybe Fate is just trying to clean up the mess."_

"So, how do we stop it?" Angela asked.

 _"How do we stop Fate? Good question."_ Bobby sighed.

"Well, there's got to be a way," Dean replied.

 _"Or there ain't,"_ Bobby replied. _"I mean, this Fate we're talking about here. You know, the easiest way would be to get that angel to re-sink the boat."_

"No." Dean shook his head. "No way. Forget it."

 _"Big difference between dying awful and never being born, Dean,"_ Bobby replied.

"We are not sinking the boat, Bobby." Dean pressed. "Okay? Don't even think about it."

 _"Well, okay,"_ Bobby muttered. _"What's got your panties in a clench?"_

"Nothing," Dean mumbled.

 _"Try that again?"_ Bobby replied.

"It…Look, it-it-it doesn't even really matter, but…" Dean trailed off.

_"But?"_

Dean sighed. "Apparently, a crapload of dominoes get tipped over if the Titanic goes down. And, uh, bottom line, Ellen and Jo die."

There was a long, silent pause between everyone. Sam shifted uncomfortably.

 _"Okay, you three."_ Bobby finally said. _"Listen up. You make sure…Keep those angels from sinking that boat. Do you understand me?"_

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Yes." Dean agreed.

"Of course, Bobby," Angela said softly.

Dean sighed when Bobby ended the call. "Oh, he's bad enough with her. Think how he'd be if she was gone."

"Yeah." Sam sighed. "So, what do we do? I mean, how do we save 50,000 people?"

"I got no clue…" Angela replied.

"Yeah. We don't even know who they are." Sam scoffed.

"Well, we know one." Dean pointed to Shawn Russo's pamphlet.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were sitting in the Mustang. Dean spotted Russo who was walking with a client who was in a neck brace. Russo soon left the client and walked off on his own.

"That's him," Dean said. "Let's go."

The three hunters exited the Mustang and followed Russo. Russo's phone suddenly rang and he answered it.

"Hello. Yeah. What?" Russo said.

"Mr. Russo!" Angela called.

"I don't care. Send him a fruitcake." Russo replied to the person on the phone.

A man in a car was driving along the road. He took a sip of coffee.

"Shawn!" Dean yelled.

"Who's the judge?" Russo asked.

"Russo!" Dean exclaimed.

"Alright, send him a nice bottle of champagne. But nothing more than 30…"

"Shawn!" Angela called.

"Ah, no. 20 bucks. Believe me, this guy, he owes me."

"Russo, stop!" Dean yelled.

Russo stopped and turned to face Dean, clearly annoyed. The guy driving slammed on his breaks and narrowly missed running over Russo. Russo fell and dropped his phone. Sam and Angela helped him up, and Dean held out Russo's phone.

"Get off of me!" Russo shrugged Sam and Angela off. He glared at Angela and Dean. "And I told you two to leave me alone, didn't I?"

"Look, we're just trying to help you out, okay?" Angela replied gently.

"Help me?!" Russo snapped. "You almost killed me, you lunatic." He added as he snatched his phone from Dean's hand. "Unbelievable." He muttered as he walked away, crossing a street.

"Russo! Hey!" Dean yelled.

"Just be glad I'm not suing your a—

Russo was cut off by a bus slamming him. The three hunters cringed at the scene.


	34. My Heart Will Go On Part 2

"You've got to be kidding me," Dean muttered. He looked at Russo's remains and the large bloodstain on the street, then up at the bus. On the back of the bus was an ad for Russo's law service. "Babe, check it out."

Angela looked up at Dean, her brows furrowed. "What?"

Dean gestured at the ad and Angela rolled her eyes when she saw it. "Too soon?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, Dean." Angela scoffed. "I'm pretty sure six seconds is too soon."

Sam frowned when he spotted Atropos staring at them from inside a nearby building. "Guys. I think I saw her. Right over there." Sam pointed.

"Her? Like, _fate_ her?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"What'd she look like?" Angela asked curiously.

Sam's brows furrowed slightly. "Kind of like a librarian."

"Your kind of librarian or my kind of librarian?" Dean asked with a small smirk, causing Angela to roll her eyes.

"Well, she was wearing clothes, if that's what you mean." Sam deadpanned.

"Alright." Dean nodded as he started to walk towards the building.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, wait, wait." Sam stopped him. "We can't just walk over there."

"We're not on the hit list." Dean shrugged. "We have nothing to do with the boat. Let's go talk to her."

"Talk?" Angela repeated skeptically.

"Yeah, you know." Dean shrugged as he briefly pulled out his gun. "Talk. Worth a shot, right?"

~/~\~

"Hello?" Dean asked as they entered the building. "Hello?"

As they were looking around, Atropos stopped time and turned the gas dials open on several stoves. She smirked, and time was unfrozen.

"Hello?" Dean asked again. He groaned when his flashlight died. "Oh, come on."

"You got a lighter?" Angela asked.

"Yeah. Okay." Dean replied as he tried to flick the lighter on. He frowned when it didn't work.

"Oh, _come on_ ," Sam muttered. "It's out of juice or something?"

"It shouldn't be," Dean replied.

They opened a door and Dean flicked the lighter again. It finally sparked, and the gas caught fire. Castiel yanked the three hunters out of the warehouse just before the ignited gas could reach them.

~/~\~

They were suddenly in a dark forest.

"Cas!" Angela exclaimed.

"Hello, Angela." Castiel greeted. "Dean. Sam."

"Hey, thanks, man," Sam replied. "Where are we?"

"White Russia," Castiel replied.

Sam's brows furrowed. "What?!"

"Are you aware of what your frat bro did?" Dean snapped.

"I'm aware." Castiel sighed. "Balthazar can be impetuous."

"Well, riddle me this—if Fate's going after the boat people, why'd she try to waste us?" Dean asked.

"Well, I imagine she harbors a certain degree of rage toward you," Castiel answered.

"What did we do?" Angela asked.

"Nothing of import—just the tiny matter of averting the Apocalypse and rendering her obsolete," Castiel replied. "I think maybe she's a little irritated about that. And then you go and dangle yourselves in front of her…"

"So, we've pissed Fate off personally." Dean sighed.

"If I know her—and I do—she won't stop until you're dead," Castiel explained.

"So, what do we do?" Angela asked.

"Kill her," Castiel said simply.

" _Kill_ Fate?" Sam scoffed.

"Do you have another suggestion?" Castiel raised a brow.

"No, it's just…Can you even do that?" Angela asked.

Castiel nodded. "Balthazar has a weapon that will work against her."

"Of course he does." Dean scoffed. "Yeah. Boy, that guy's just got it covered, doesn't he? You need new friends, Cas."

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "I'm trying to save the ones I have, Dean." He replied. "We'll have to draw her out."

"Alright, well, uh, she's gunning for us." Sam shrugged. "She's bound to surface again eventually."

"We'll make it easy for her." Castiel nodded. "I think you have an expression for it. 'Tempting Fate'."

~/~\~

"Okay, so, we're just gonna meet our fate at any time, right?" Dean asked as they walked on the sidewalk.

"Yeah. Just walk. Act natural." Sam nodded.

Sam, Dean, and Angela passed a set of stairs and a skateboarder sailed right past them. Dean instinctively grabbed Angela's hand.

"Okay," Angela muttered.

"That's fine." Sam nodded.

A bicyclist passed them, then a man with two large barking dogs.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Dean sighed as they stopped in front of a group of street performers who were juggling swords and hatchets.

"Alright, just-just keep walking." Sam urged.

"Sam, they're juggling knives. And hatchets." Dean muttered.

"Yeah, I know," Sam said as the jugglers switched to torches. "Can't avoid fate."

Sam, Dean, and Angela walked right between the jugglers but remained unharmed. They came across a man with a jammed nail gun. He pointed it at Dean while trying to unjam it.

"Ah." Dean jumped slightly. However, nothing happened.

"Alright. I don't get it." Angela said.

"I don't either." Dean shook his head. "Who do you got to kill to get killed around here?"

"Maybe Cas was wrong," Sam suggested.

"Look out!" a man yelled.

A huge air conditioner fell out of the building the three hunters were passing, and it looked like it was about to crush them, but time stopped.

~/~\~

The three hunters woke up in the Impala. ' _My Heart Will Go On_ ' was playing on the radio.

"Dude, what time is it?" Sam mumbled groggily as they got out of the car. "I-I just had the weirdest dream."

"20 bucks says mine was weirder. I am not kidding." Dean replied.

"No, no, no, mine was just… _bizarre_ ," Angela added.

"Mine had the actual _Titanic_ in it," Dean replied. He looked at Sam and Angela's confused faces. "What? Something on my face?"

"Were you and Angie together in your dream?" Sam frowned.

Angela's brows furrowed. "D-did it, uh…Not sink, because Balthazar—

"Had a hate on for Billy Zane? And, uh, yeah…in my dream Angie and I were… together." Dean replied. "Why are you guys having my dreams?"

There was a sudden flutter of wings. "Wasn't a dream," Castiel said.

"Wait, what?" Angela asked. "You're saying this actually happened? That t-the whole…Whatever…that was real?"

"Yes." Castiel nodded.

"Wait. So, what happened?" Sam asked.

"Well, I insisted he go back in time and correct what he'd done," Castiel explained.

Sam's brows furrowed. "What? Why?"

"It was the only way to make sure you were safe," Castiel replied.

"So…you killed 50,000 people for us," Angela said.

"No, I didn't." Castiel shook his head. "They were never born. That's far different from being killed, wouldn't you say?"

"Ellen and Jo?" Dean cut in.

Castiel sighed deeply. "I'm sorry."

"Hold on," Dean replied as he leaned against the Impala. "Uh…So, if you guys went a-and changed everything back, then that whole timeline or whatever, it just got erased?"

"Yeah. More or less." Castiel replied.

"Well, then, how come we remember it?" Angela asked.

"Because I _wanted_ you to remember it."

"Why?" Sam asked curiously.

"I wanted you to know who Fate really is," Castiel replied. "She's cruel and capricious."

Dean scoffed. "I'd go so far as 'bitch'."

"Well, yeah." Castiel agreed. "You're the ones who taught me that you can make your own destiny. You don't have to be ruled by fate. You can choose freedom. I still believe that that's something worth fighting for. I just wanted you to understand that."

Dean nodded and then looked slightly confused. "So, wait. Did…Balthazar really, uh, unravel the sweater over a chick flick?"

Castiel looked at the ground. "Yes. Absolutely. That's what he did."

"Wow. Well, it might be time to take away his cable privileges." Dean replied. "Besides, _Titanic_ didn't suck that bad." He shrugged. Dean looked at Sam who had his brows raised. "Winslet's rack." Dean defended.

Castiel suddenly disappeared.

"I'll tell you one thing about Cas, he does not appreciate the finer things," Dean muttered as they headed inside.

~/~\~

Bobby was asleep on his couch, a book in his hands. Dean and Sam leaned against the doorway and Angela leaned against Sam, his arm around her waist.

"I guess things are back to normal, huh?" Angela murmured.

"Poor bastard. Doesn't even know how good he had it." Sam shook his head.

"Yeah, well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him," Dean replied. "I say we keep our mouths shut."

"Yeah." Sam nodded in agreement.

"Should we wake him?" Angela asked.

"Nah. That's probably the best he's felt all week." Dean replied. He went over and gently took the book from Bobby's hands and covered him with a blanket.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were sitting at Bobby's kitchen table, each of them drinking a beer. Sam had retired to the guest room that he and Angela were sharing for the night.

Dean took a sip of his beer and looked at Angela. "What are you thinking about?"

Angela's eyes snapped up to him. "What?"

"You got that look on your face," Dean replied. "So, what are you thinking about?"

"You and Sam both know me so well…" Angela muttered. "I'm thinking about that alternate timeline, to be honest."

Dean's brows furrowed slightly. "Alright. About what specifically?"

"The fact that you and I were together," Angela replied.

"Oh, you finally realized that you want the hotter brother now?" Dean teased with a smirk.

Angela chuckled and shook her head. "I'm being serious, you jerk." She replied. "I don't know, in that alternate timeline I felt like something was… _missing_."

Dean took another sip of his drink. "Care to elaborate?"

"I felt like my brother was missing," Angela answered honestly. "As much as I hate all the destiny and fate crap…I don't know. I was meant to be with Sam and I was meant to have you as my brother. Sam didn't feel like my brother in that alternate timeline." She shrugged slightly.

Dean smiled softly. "Yeah, the day we met you, I just saw you gravitate towards Sammy." He replied. "You two probably hadn't even realized you liked each other yet, but I just knew." He added. "Plus, you and I probably wouldn't work out."

"Now it's your turn to elaborate." Angela smiled softly.

"You're too good for me, kiddo." Dean shrugged. "You've been in this life since the day you were born, and, you still manage to have this bright energy. You give people so many second chances…Kid, you and Sammy were made for each other. You both have this optimism that I just don't have."

And glanced down at the table and smiled softly. She started picking at her beer label.

"And seriously—after Jess…" Dean continued. "Sam was a wreck, and he had flings now and then, but you were like this ray of light for him."

Angela looked up at him, the small smile still on her face. "He's my ray of light too." She murmured. She stood up and walked over before she pressed a sisterly kiss to Dean's temple. "Love ya, Dean."

Dean smiled up at her. "Back at you, kid." He replied. "Now, go see your guy, and get to bed."

"You better get some sleep tonight, too," Angela demanded. "Seriously, Dean." She added, giving him a pointed look before she walked to the guestroom.


	35. Frontierland Part 1

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Bobby were in the Campbell's compound.

"It's here, somewhere. I know it." Sam said. "Help me move this." He said to Bobby.

Sam and Bobby moved Samuel's desk, revealing a trap door.

"I'll be damned," Bobby muttered.

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Bobby all headed down the ladder. They looked around the small room with their flashlights. There were shelves and shelves of books, and a table in the middle.

"Welcome to the Campbell family library," Sam said.

"So, Samuel collected all this stuff?" Angela asked.

"Apparently." Sam nodded.

"Wow," Dean muttered. "Alright, well, what are we looking for?"

"Well, anything that'll put a run in Octomom's stockings," Bobby replied. "Pick a row."

The four hunters started looking through the books in the library. After a while, Bobby finally found something.

"Bingo." He said as they all sat at the table. "Have you three ever heard anything about a Phoenix?"

"River, Joaquin, or the giant flaming bird?" Dean raised a brow.

"It says here that the ashes of a Phoenix can burn the mother." Bobby read.

"The mother?" Sam asked.

"Great." Dean shrugged. "Where do we get one?"

"You got me." Bobby sighed. "I thought it was a myth."

"Alright, great. Well, let's see if we can find something out about a Phoenix." Angela replied.

They all started looking through the books. Dean was leaning against the shelf as he read one of the books. He looked over at Sam, Angela, and Bobby, a small grin on his face. The grin soon turned into a look of awe as he continued reading.

"Guys." He said. "Guys, guys, guys, guys, check this out." He added as he rushed to the table. "March 5, 1861. Sunrise, Wyoming. Gun killed a Phoenix today. Left a pile of _smoldering ash_." He read.

"Really? Whose gun?" Angela asked curiously.

"Colt's." Dean grinned.

"Colt?" Sam asked skeptically. "Colt like—

"Like _the_ Colt. From…" Dean trailed off as he held up the book with a grin. "Samuel Colt's journal."

"What?!" Angela grinned excitedly. "That's his?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"Dude, no." Sam grinned.

"Dude, yes," Dean replied.

Sam went to grab the book from Dean's hands. "Well, let me see it."

Dean held the book out of Sam's reach. "Get your own."

"Well, what else did he say about the Phoenix?" Bobby cut in. "What does it look like? Has it got feathers?"

"It just says 'Phoenix'." Dean shrugged.

"Did he say where he tracked it?" Bobby asked.

"No." Dean shook his head.

Angela sighed. "Alright, so, I guess we got to find one of our own, whatever it is."

Dean paused for a moment, and then a realization hit him. "I know where we can find one." He replied, earning confused looks from the other three hunters. "March 5, 1861. Sunrise, Wyoming. We'll _Star Trek IV_ this bitch."

Sam, Angela, and Bobby shot each other confused looks. Sam just shrugged.

"I only watched _Deep Space Nine_." Bobby shrugged.

Dean scoffed and shook his head. "It's like I don't even know you guys anymore." He muttered. " _Star Trek IV_. Save the whales."

Sam, Angela, and Bobby just replied with a shrug of their shoulders.

Dean sighed. "We hop back in time, we join up with Samuel Colt, and we hunt the Phoenix, and then we haul the ashes back home with us," Dean explained.

"Time travel?" Bobby asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah." Dean shrugged.

"That's a reasonable plan?" Bobby asked.

"We got a guy who can swing it." Dean shrugged. He stood up and bowed his head. "Castiel. The, uh, the fate of the world is in the balance. So, come on down here. Come on, Cas, _I Dream of Jeannie_ your ass down here pronto. Please." He prayed.

There was a flutter of wings and an angel in the vessel of a blonde woman appeared.

Dean looked over and his brows furrowed in confusion. "Jeannie?"

"Rachel." The angel smiled. "I understand you need some assistance? How can I help you?"

"Well, uh, we kind of need to talk to the Big Kahuna," Dean replied.

"I'm here on Castiel's behalf." Rachel smiled.

"Where is he?" Angela asked curiously.

"Busy," Rachel replied curtly.

"Busy?" Dean raised a brow.

"Yes."

Dean pursed his lips. "Well, we've got a line of the mother of freaking everything, so—

"I'm sure your issue's very important." Rachel interrupted. "But Castiel is currently commanding an army, so—

"So, we get stuck with Miss Moneypenny." Dean scoffed.

"So, you need to learn your place." Rachel said.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't know who you think you are—

"I'm his friend," Rachel replied with a small smile.

Sam's brows furrowed slightly. "What, you think we're not?"

"I think you call him when you need something," Rachel replied honestly. "We're fighting a war."

"We get that," Sam assured.

"Clearly you _don't_ , or you wouldn't call him every time you stub your toe, you petty, entitled little pie—

There was another flutter of wings and Castiel appeared. "Rachel. That's enough." He warned.

Rachel looked at Castiel. "I told you I'd take care of this." She replied quietly.

"It's alright," Castiel assured. "You can go."

Rachel's brows furrowed. "You're staying?"

"Go," Castiel repeated sternly. "I'll come when I can."

Rachel reluctantly followed orders and disappeared.

"Wow." Angela scoffed. "Friend of yours?"

"Yes." Castiel nodded. "She's, uh, my lieutenant. She's…committed to the cause. Now, what do you need?"

~/~\~

Bobby, Sam, and Angela were sitting in Bobby's study cleaning their guns.

"Where the hell's Dean?" Bobby asked, breaking the silence.

"Supply run, he said." Angela shrugged. "I don't know."

Castiel was leaning against the wall. "Um, about your plan. You'll only have 24 hours."

Sam stood up and walked over to Castiel. "Wait, what? Why?"

"Well, the answer to your question can best be expressed as a series of partial differential equations," Castiel replied.

"Yeah, aim lower." Bobby cut in.

Castiel sighed. "The further back I send you, the harder it becomes to retrieve you. 24 hours is all I can risk. If I don't pull you home within that time, you'll be lost to me." Castiel explained.

Dean entered the room with a grin on his face. He was carrying several large shopping bags. "Well, then we better get you a watch."

Angela stood up and walked over so that she was next to Sam. "What the hell is all that?" She asked.

"We are going native. Got to blend in." Dean replied. He handed Sam and Angela two of the bags that read 'Wally's Western World'.

"No way." Angela shook her head.

"Yeah, no thanks." Sam agreed.

"Guys." Dean pressed.

"Dean, we can—we can wear our normal clothes," Sam replied.

"And look like people from freakin' space?" Dean scoffed.

Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Look, just because you're obsessed with all that Wild West stuff—

"No, I'm not!" Dean argued.

"You have a fetish!" Sam exclaimed.

"Shut up," Dean replied. "I like old movies."

"You can recite _every_ Clint Eastwood movie ever made, line for line," Sam argued.

Bobby's brows furrowed. "Even the monkey movies?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. " _Especially_ the monkey movies."

"His name is Clyde," Dean replied. "Sam, just wear the damn shirt. Angie, wear the damn dress."

Sam came downstairs wearing a white shirt embroidered with yellow roses. Dean was wearing a whole outfit, complete with a sarape. Angela was still upstairs getting changed.

"Dean, this is stupid. I look stupid." Sam grumbled.

Dean rolled his eyes at Sam's comment. "Angie, let's go!" He yelled.

Bobby scoffed as he took in Dean's outfit. "You going to a hoedown?"

Dean ignored the question. Angela started walking downstairs and walked into the study, a miserable look on her face. She was wearing a long, purple prairie dress that had an intricate white floral pattern. The dress had a square neckline and sleeves that came halfway down. The look was topped off with white lace gloves that came to her wrists, matching shoes, and a pendant.

"I look freakin' ridiculous!" Angela exclaimed.

Sam turned around to look at her and smiled softly. "You look ridiculously _adorable._ " He replied, walking over to her.

"Where the hell am I supposed to hide a weapon?" Angela grumbled. "And how am I gonna hunt in this?!"

Sam's smile grew, and he pulled her to him. "Looks like I'll just have to protect you." He replied. Sam pressed a sweet kiss to her temple.

Dean rolled his eyes and made a fake gagging noise. "Alright, lovebirds. Let's go." He cut in. He picked up a handful of gold. "What's this?"

"Where you're goin', they don't take plastic," Bobby replied.

"I'll send you back to March 4th," Castiel interjected. "That should give you time to find the Colt…and this Phoenix creature."

"Alright, well, see ya at High Noon tomorrow," Dean replied, winking and clicking his tongue. "Partner."

Castiel touched them on their foreheads and the three hunters appeared in Sunrise, Wyoming 1861.

~/~\~

They all looked around the little, slightly rundown town. Dean grinned as he walked around a bit.

"Oh, now we're talking," Dean said to himself.

~/~\~

"Alright," Dean said. "Let's go find Samuel Colt."

Sam set the timer on his watch to 24 hours.

"Hey, we should try the Saloon first, uh, see what we get from the locals," Dean suggested.

"Sure." Sam chuckled. "Whatever, Sundance."

"Think I'll have time to hit on saloon girls?" Dean smirked.

Sam and Angela gave Dean an unamused look.

"I'm kidding." Dean backtracked. "Come on."

As they walked Sam took a step into a pile of horse manure. "Oh, dammit. Come on." He groaned, lifting his foot slightly.

"You know what that is?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, it's horse—

"Authenticity!" Dean exclaimed.

Sam just groaned and took Angela's hand in his. The three of them walked into the center of town and saw a hanging taking place.

"We stand here today, March 4th, 1861, to execute justice upon Elias Finch for the murder of his own wife." Judge Mortimer said.

"Wow." Angela scoffed. "Talk about authenticity."

"Sentence handed down by myself, Tye Mortimer, duly appointed judge of the Wyoming circuit. You will be hung by your neck until you die." Judge Mortimer continued.

"You got anything to say?" the Sheriff asked Finch.

"You're gonna burn for this," Elia replied. "Every one of you." He added, looking at the Sheriff.

Elias was hanged, and his bones cracked. The crowd gasped in horror.

"Good times," Dean said sarcastically. "So, where do we find Sammy Colt?"

"No idea. Huh." Sam replied as he watched the judge and the Sheriff walked down the steps of the hanging platform. "I think I know who to ask, though."

A man turned around and stared at Dean's attire. "Nice blanket."

Dean, disappointed, took off the sarape and threw it on the ground. Sam, Dean, and Angela entered the jail to find the Sheriff.

~/~\~

"Sheriff? Can we have a word?" Dean asked.

"Depends who's askin'." The Sheriff replied.

"Marshal Eastwood. Clint Eastwood." Dean flashed his badge. He gestured at Sam. "This here is, uh, Walker. He's a Texas Ranger." He added. "And this is his wife." He gestured to Angela.

The sheriff eyed Angela slightly and smirked. He looked at the boys. "What can I do for y'all?"

"Uh, we're looking for a man," Angela replied.

"I'll bet, sweetheart." Judge Mortimer replied. "Nice shirt, there." He gestured to Dean.

Dean was slightly taken aback. "What's wrong with my shirt?"

"You're very clean." Judge Mortimer replied.

"It's dirtier than it looks," Dean muttered.

"We need to find Samuel Colt." Sam cut in. "Do you know him?"

"The gun maker?" the Sheriff asked, brows raised.

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "Is he in town?"

"Not that I know of." The Sheriff shrugged. "Might try asking Elkins over at the Saloon. Been here longer than God."

Dean tipped his hat, and the three hunters left. They headed into the Saloon.

~/~\~

Dean walked into the Saloon excitedly. He surveyed the room and frowned. "This is not awesome."

Sam gave Dean an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Angela just gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Hi." Sam greeted the bartender.

"What'll you have?" Elkins asked.

"Oh, uh, okay. Great." Dean nodded. "I'll have your top-shelf whiskey."

"Only have the one shelf," Elkins replied.

"That'll do just fine." Dean smiled. "And he'll have a sarsaparilla." He pointed to Sam.

Elkins nodded and looked at Angela. "Anything for you, sweetheart?"

Angela shook her head and smiled politely. "No, thank you." She replied. "Are you Elkins?" She asked curiously.

"One and only." He replied as he started pouring the two drinks.

"You know a man named Samuel Colt?" Dean asked.

Elkins shrugged. "He passed through here about four years ago."

"He still around?" Sam asked.

"Rumor is, he's building a railroad stop 20 miles out of town, just by the Postal road," Elkins replied. "Middle of nowhere."

Sam looked at Dean and Angela. "The Devil's Gate?" he whispered.

"Location fits." Dean nodded.

A woman started walking down the stairs. "Howdy." She smiled at Dean. Her teeth were yellow and rotted.

"Darla's my best girl." Elkins praised.

"Try me. You want a kiss?" Darla asked Dean.

Dean leaned back. "S-so much _germier_ than I pictured…"

As Darla tried to kiss Dean, Sam and Angela look on, fairly amused.

"Darla!" Judge Mortimer called as he walked in.

Darla paused. "Ah. Judge." She said turning around. "Nice to see you."

Judge Mortimer gestured upstairs. "I thought we had a date."

Darla nodded and walked over to him. She led him upstairs and shot a wink at Dean.

"Wow, that was a close one," Dean commented.

"I guess it's good to be the judge." Angela laughed.

"Yeah." Dean nodded. He took a sip of his whiskey and spit it out. "Oh, it's like gasoline."

Sam smirked. "Sarsaparilla ain't half bad." He shrugged.

Suddenly, the three hunters heard a scream from upstairs. Angela hiked up her dress slightly and the three hunters ran upstairs. They ran into the room and found Darla in the corner. On the bed there was only a smoldering skeleton, half turned to ash.

~/~\~

"You okay, sheriff?" Angela asked.

"'Course I'm okay." The Sheriff replied.

"It was a ghost!" Darla exclaimed.

The Sheriff rolled his eyes. "It wasn't a ghost. Unless ghosts leave footprints." He gestured at the floor where there were dark footprints leading out of the room.

"I am telling you, Elias Finch was here," Darla replied. "He did…that, and then walked out that door."

"Rope didn't kill him. Seen it before." The Sheriff sighed.

"Well, you got any idea where he could be?" Sam asked.

"Could be a thousand places."

"Well, you got a way to flush him out?" Dean asked.

"'Course. We're gonna form a posse." The Sheriff nodded. "Then we're gonna string Finch up right. Put a bullet in his head for good measure."

Dean nodded. "That actually sounds like a good plan."

The Sheriff looked at Sam and Dean. "You two should come along. Meet downstairs at dawn."

"I'm coming too," Angela interjected, arms folded across her chest.

The sheriff scoffed. "Sweetheart, leave this up to the men."

"If my husband goes, I go." Angela narrowed her eyes. "Right, honey?" She looked up at Sam.

Sam nodded and wrapped his arm around Angela's waist. "We're a team." He agreed.

"Look, we'll be there," Dean interjected.

The sheriff nodded. "Get yourselves some real gear first, huh?" He suggested before leaving.

"Well, I think we ought to pay our respects to Finch," Angela suggested.

Sam and Dean nodded in agreement.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were at the cemetery. They held lanterns over Finch's grave.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Sam asked.

"Rose from the ashes, burned up its victims?" Dean asked. "You know, maybe we're not looking for a flaming bird. Maybe the Phoenix is actually walking around in cowboy boots."

"That makes sense, right?" Angela nodded. "Could be Finch. So, question is, how do we put this thing out?"

"Well, we do know one thing that'll kill friggin' everything, right?" Dean shrugged.

"Yeah, the Colt," Sam replied.

"So, you and Angie get the gun," Dean suggested.

"But isn't the gun coming here?" Angela asked. "I mean, according to Samuel Colt's journal?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, but people barely even know who Colt is. Maybe you two got to go find him and make history." Dean suggested. "I'll stay here, hook up with the posse. 'Cause you know me, I'm a posse magnet. I mean, I love posse." Dean said. "Make that into a t-shirt." He chuckled.

Sam looked unamused. "You done?" he asked. "Look, the problem is Colt's 20 miles outside of town. How are we supposed to get there and back before noon?"

Dean turned around when he heard a horse neigh in the distance. He looked back at Sam and Angela. "Ride 'em cowboy."

The three hunters went to a stable and bought a horse. Sam helped Angela get on first, and then he attempted to get on so that he was in front of her.

"Wh—uh, try…try the other side," Dean suggested. "Yeah, good boy." He murmured as he stroked the horse.

"Right," Sam muttered as he got onto the horse and rode away slowly. "Yeah. Right. Hey. This actually feels right."

"Alright, take it easy you two," Dean warned.

Angela wrapped her arms around Sam's middle. "You bet, Dean. 11:00 AM, right?"

"Don't be late!" Dean called.

"Okay." Sam nodded.

"Alright. Go on. Go. Hyah!"

"We're okay!" Angela exclaimed.

"That poor horse," Dean muttered as they galloped off.

~/~\~

Dean walked into the Saloon. He passed Darla on his way to the bar.

Elkins turned to look at Dean. "New hat."

"I look good," Dean smirked. "Where's the posse?" He asked, looking around. "I must be early."

Elkins scoffed. "Or you're the only greenhorn dumb enough to go chasing after a ghost."

"What are you talking about?" Dean frowned. "Sheriff's tough as nails. He'll be here."

"Oh, God!" a man outside yelled. "The sheriff's dead!"

"Or not." Dean sighed.

~/~\~

Dean ran outside and looked at the pile of ash and bones with the sheriff's badge on top.

"Great," Dean muttered. "Who's the sheriff now?"

Elkins bent down to pick up the badge. He dusted it off and pinned the badge to Dean's jacket.

"What. What…"

"Now…Congratulations, sheriff," Elkin said.


	36. Frontierland Part 2

The deputy was hastily packing his clothes into his suitcase. Suddenly he heard a knock. "Who's there?"

"Candygram for Mongo," Dean replied in a high-pitched voice.

The deputy gripped his gun and opened the door to reveal Dean holding up his own gun.

"Howdy, pilgrim." Dean greeted.

"I ain't no pilgrim." The deputy replied defensively.

"Alright, back up," Dean replied, gesturing at the deputy's gun. "Is that any way to, uh…" Dean trailed off, showing the deputy his new sheriff's badge. "Greet your new boss?"

The deputy just scoffed.

"Missed you at the posse this morning." Dean continued. "I was a one-man wolf pack, thanks to you." He added, his eyes trailing over to the suitcase. "What's going on here?"

"Going to visit my sister." The deputy replied as he continued packing.

"Well, she'll have to wait," Dean said.

"But if I don't—

"Finch said he was coming back for the former sheriff, Judge Mortimer, and _you._ " Dean interrupted. "That's two down and one to go."

"Then just let me go!" The deputy exclaimed.

"You really think you can outrun him?" Dean narrowed his eyes. "He is going to kill you. Unless…"

The deputy paused and looked at Dean. "Unless what?"

"Unless we gank him first," Dean answered.

The deputy's brows furrowed. " _Gank?_ What's 'gank'?" He asked. "Mister, you're crazy. No way. You're on your own."

"I'm not asking you to throw down with him. I'm asking you to play your part." Dean replied.

"My part?" the deputy asked, obviously confused.

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "Bait."

~/~\~

Sam opened Samuel's door and he and Angela peered inside before slowly venturing in.

"Hello?" Angela asked, looking around.

Samuel suddenly came up and threw holy water on Sam and Angela.

"Okay, not demons!" Sam exclaimed. "Not demons! Just—just hunters. Sheesh."

Samuel's brows furrowed. "You're what?"

"You Samuel Colt?" Sam asked. "My name is Sam Winchester, and this is Angela Morgan."

"We're hunters from the year 2011," Angela added.

Samuel eyes the two younger hunters skeptically. "Prove it."

Sam paused and then pulled his Blackberry from his pocket. He handed it to Samuel who looked at it as he headed back to his desk.

"Alright." Samuel nodded. He placed Sam's blackberry behind his desk on the bookshelf.

Angela's brows furrowed in confusion. "A-alright? That's…uh, that's it?"

"Well, when you've done this job as long as I have…time travelers with some magic brick doesn't exactly give you the vapors," Samuel replied.

"We need your help killing a Phoenix," Angela said.

"A Phoenix?" Samuel asked as he sat down. "They exist?"

"Well, you shoot one in three hours," Sam replied.

"If you say so." Samuel shrugged.

"I don't. You do." Sam replied as he handed the journal to Samuel.

Samuel stood up and looked at his two, identical journals laying on top of each other. "That's…I'm either too drunk or not drunk enough. So, what is it I'm about to exactly do?" He asked as he sat back down.

"Well, the Phoenix is in Sunrise, so, uh, if we leave now, you can—

"I appreciate your situation." Samuel interrupted. "But I'm not gonna be of any help to you. I'm booked."

Sam frowned. "Right, but—but you say right here—

"Don't believe everything you read." Samuel shrugged.

"But you're a hunter," Angela replied.

"Retired," Samuel said.

Sam scoffed. "There's no such thing."

"I'm out," Samuel assured.

"There is no getting out!" Angela exclaimed. "Look, for what it's worth, in our time, you're a hero."

"Me?" Samuel raised a brow.

"Yes, sir." Angela nodded.

Samuel just laughed and shook his head.

"Now, look, we—we need to kill this Phoenix." Sam pressed. "Its ashes are the only thing that can kill the monster we're hunting. So, stow your crap for a few ours, and let's go. We need to go now. So, either you're coming with us, or we need the gun."

Samuel's brows furrowed slightly. "What gun?"

" _The_ gun," Sam replied.

"Oh, _that_ gun," Samuel mumbled. "I lost it in a game of Stud."

Angela narrowed her eyes. "You're lying."

"Oh, am I, darlin'?" Samuel laughed. "Now, that doesn't sound like me."

"You shot a couple of demons with it less than an hour ago," Angela replied, folding her arms across her chest.

Samuel's narrowed his eyes. "How do you figure?"

Angela pointed towards the door. "Two pairs of boot prints." She replied. "Cabin reeks of sulfur."

Samuel nodded. "Not bad, darlin'." He replied. He opened up his jacket, so they could see the Colt in his holster. "You don't want it. It's a curse. Believe me."

"Great." Sam nodded. "Then let us take it off your hands."

"You go put on a few more miles and come back, and we'll talk."

Sam clenched his jaw in frustration. "Trust me. We've got plenty of mileage."

"I'm doing you a favor," Samuel assured. "Believe me?"

"So, what?" Angela scoffed. "You can really just sit there?"

"Darlin', I've given my whole life to this. I'm done." Samuel said finally.

"So, it doesn't matter what happens." Sam scoffed.

"No, it doesn't." Samuel shrugged.

"So, everything you did, it all means nothing?" Sam asked. "Give us the gun." He demanded.

~/~\~

Dean was sitting on a desk in the jail. He looked at the clock and shook his head. "Never been late in your damn lives, guys, and now you're dragging ass."

"So, this is your big plan, huh?" the deputy asked from inside the jail cell. "Just let me rot in here till Fitch comes?"

Dean stood up and turned to walk towards the cell. "Pretty much. Why's he gunning for you, anyway?"

The deputy scoffed. "I guess you missed the part where we hung him?"

Dean shook his head. "No, I'm thinking to a thing like Finch, that's no big whoop. He would've just blown town, but he came back. That seems personal."

"I'll tell you what—you let me out of here, and we'll talk." The deputy bargained.

Dean clicked his tongue and shook his head. "No can do."

The deputy started to hyperventilate slightly, but he froze when Elias Finch entered.

"Open up that cell," Elias demanded.

Dean turned to face him and shrugged. "Open it yourself." He challenged. "You melt people's faces off. I'll bet you got the juice to tear that apart easy, don't you? Unless you can't. Just like you couldn't break those cuffs when they strung you up." He added. He threw the iron nail at Elias, who caught it by reflex.

Elias flinched as the iron burned his skin. "Aah." He muttered as he quickly dropped the nail.

"Iron shackles…Iron bars, iron nail." Dean pointed out. "See a pattern? Don't worry. Most creatures I meet can't get it up for iron. It's a common monster problem."

"So, you're a hunter?" Elias raised a brow.

"Slash Sheriff." Dean shrugged.

"You know what this son of a bitch did?" Elias asked.

"Do tell." Dean urged.

"I was married to a woman," Elias replied. "Good woman— _human._ We lived outside of town, didn't bother anyone."

"Sure, freak with a heart of gold." Dean scoffed slightly.

Elias narrowed his eyes. "You want to call me 'monster', fine. But all we did was go into town." He replied. "I go into the bank for five minutes. I come out, she's gone. And then I heard her scream." He added, clenching his jaw angrily. "This…man had her pinned in the alley. I go to stop him, he pulls his gun, shoots me, then her. She died in my arms." He continued. "'Course, I don't die." He smirked at the Deputy. "The shots brought the sheriff. Next thing I know, I'm in iron. That's why I want him just where he is—trapped, scared. I saved the best for last."

"Is that true?" Dean asked the deputy. After a few moments of silence, Dean just nodded.

"So, tell me—are you really willing to die to protect this piece of filth?" Elias asked Dean.

"Honestly, I could care less about him," Dean replied with a shrug. "He's a dick and a coward."

"Hey!" The deputy exclaimed defensively.

"But this ain't about him." Dean continued, ignoring the Deputy. "I know what you are."

"Really?" Elias asked skeptically.

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "So…I got to kill you."

"Well, if you know what I am, then you know you can't," Elias replied.

Suddenly, Elias grabbed the deputy's gun from where his holster hung on the wall and shot the deputy.

"Wow, I should've seen that coming," Dean muttered to himself. He ran and jumped through the window and ran from Elias, who was shooting at him.

~/~\~

Dean ran and hid from Elias behind a nearby building. He pulled out his gun and peered out from behind the wall of the building.

"Dean!" Sam whispered.

Dean looked over and sighed in relief. "Sam, Angie, come on, come on." He led them away from the building. "Hey, where's Colt?"

"He's not coming," Angela replied.

"What?!" Dean frowned.

"But, he sent this," Sam replied, handing Dean the Colt.

Dean grinned at the gun. "Ohh. Hello, beautiful."

"Alright." Angela nodded.

"Come on," Dean said.

"Yeah." Sam agreed.

~/~\~

Dean walked onto the main road. "Get out here, Finch!" he yelled.

Angela and Sam watched from a nearby corner.

"What are you doing?!" Angela asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

"Come on!" Dean yelled. "Let's do this!"

Elias walked out of a nearby building. "So, this is how you want to die. Fine." He shrugged as he walked to the road and faced Dean.

~/~\~

Dean and Elias waited for the clock to strike twelve and shot at each other. Dean hit Elias, and he died, clearly shocked. He screamed as he burst into flames and left behind a pile of ash.

Dean smirked victoriously. "Yippee-ki-yay, mother…"

~/~\~

Sam and Angela looked at the clock as it rang. It was noon…

"Dean!" Sam yelled. "The ashes!"

The three hunters ran towards the ashes.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela tumbled into Bobby's living room. Dean looked at the bottle and frowned, it was empty. The three hunters looked defeated.

~/~\~

Castiel sat in a chair in front of Bobby's desk, clearly looking exhausted.

"You gotta send us back," Dean told Castiel.

Angela leaned against Sam who had his arm around her waist. "Dean, look at him. He's fried." Angela cut in.

"I never want to do that again," Castiel muttered.

Dean looked at Bobby, who also looked exhausted. "Bobby, you—

"I'm still kickin', Annie Oakley." He replied. "Be back good as new in… A decade or two."

Dean sighed deeply. "And we screwed the pooch. Bobby, I'm sorry."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sam pulled away from Angela and went to answer it. There was a delivery man holding a package.

"Is there a Sam Winchester and an Angela Morgan here?" the delivery man asked.

Sam frowned. "Who's asking?

The delivery man sighed. "Look, this is nuts—me and a couple of guys made a bet. So…this thing's been laying around the office since…Ever. Uh, with a note on it saying to bring it here. It's from a-a Samuel Colt?"

Sam looked at the package, obviously surprised, and confused. "Yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's—that's mine. Great. Thanks." He replied, shutting the door before the delivery man could get his signature.

Sam brought the package over to Bobby's desk and opened it. He pulled out his blackberry and set it down. "Dear Sam and Angela, I got this address and date off your…thingamajig, and I thought the enclosed might come in handy. Regards, Samuel Colt." Sam read the letter. He set it down and pulled out a bottle full of ashes.

"Is that what I think it is?" Bobby asked hopefully.

"Ashes of a Phoenix." Angela murmured.

"You know what this means?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I didn't get a 'soulonoscopy' for nothing," Bobby replied.

"Yes." Dean nodded. "And…it means we take the fight to her."

Angela smiled softly. "Well, I say this, calls for a celebration." She said suddenly. She grabbed Sam's hand in hers and her soft smile turned into a smirk. "Sammy, uh, why don't we go upstairs, and you can help me take this dress off…"

Sam looked at her and blinked a few times. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, definitely." Sam nodded quickly.

Angela grinned and hiked up her dress slightly, and the couple quickly went upstairs, Angela giggling as they did.

Dean cringed and looked at the stairs. "Ugh. Gross." He muttered. "I'm leaving, who's in?"

Bobby nodded in agreement and quickly stood up. Castiel just looked slightly confused.

"I don't understand…" Castiel trailed off. "Angela is perfectly capable of undressing herself…"


	37. Mommy Dearest Part 1

Dean sat at a work table in Bobby's garage. The bottle of ashes was empty, and Dean was making shotgun shells with the ashes.

Sam, Angela, and Bobby walked in.

"Hey." Angela greeted. "How are you doing?"

"Five shells," Dean grumbled. "That's how I'm doing."

Sam sighed deeply. "Well, you know, it's a hell of a lot more than what we had last week."

"Maybe." Dean sighed.

"Meaning?" Bobby raised a brow.

Dean turned around slightly. "Meaning I just had myself a little mishap a few minutes ago, and, uh, well, here, look." He said as he rubbed the ashes on his arm. However, nothing happened.

"Whoa." Angela and Sam muttered.

"Huh," Bobby added.

"I mean, this stuff is supposed to burn the bejeezus out of Eve, doesn't even give me a sunburn." Dean shrugged.

"Lore says it works," Bobby replied with a shrug.

"That's always reliable," Dean replied sarcastically.

"Well, you know what?" Angela interjected. "Maybe it's like, uh, iron or silver. You know? Hurts them, not us."

"Maybe, but a fat lot of good it does us 'til we find the bitch," Dean replied as he stood up.

Bobby paused for a minute. "I'm looking, but I'm thinking maybe it's time you made a call."

Dean wiped his hands with a nearby rag. "Why can't Angie make the call, huh?" Dean asked. "It's not like Cas lives in my ass. The dude's busy." He added. Suddenly there was a flutter of wings and Castiel appeared behind him. Dean turned around, surprised. "Cas, get out of my ass!"

Castiel tilted his head slightly. "I was never in your…" He trailed off when Dean gave him a look. "Have you made any progress in locating Eve?"

"Well, we were gonna ask you about that," Bobby replied.

Castiel shook his head. "No, I've looked, but she's hidden from me. She's hidden from all angels."

"Awesome," Dean replied sarcastically.

"You know, what we really need is an inside man," Sam interjected.

Dean turned slightly to look at Sam. "What do you mean?"

"Something with claws and sympathy." Angela nodded.

"Like a _friendly_ monster?" Dean asked, his brows furrowing. Sam and Angela just shrugged. "Those are in short supply these days, don't you think?" Dean asked.

"Sure, but we've met one or two, right?" Sam countered.

"Maybe." Dean sighed.

"So, we can find one," Angela assured.

For a while, the four hunters looked through books, cell phones, anything they could find really. Suddenly Castiel appeared with Lenore.

Sam's eyes widened. "Lenore."

Lenore looked around, frightened. She attempted to run away.

Sam, Dean, and Angela ran over to her.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Sam said gently. "Lenore, stop. Look, we're happy you're here."

"Been a long time," Dean said. "You remember us?"

"I remember." Lenore nodded. "Your hunter friend almost killed me."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, uh, he turned into a vampire and I chopped his head off," Sam replied.

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "With razor wire. Wicked."

"It was kind of hot," Angela admitted. She looked up at Sam, who was giving her a look and shrugged. "What?"

"Well, that's something." Lenore nodded. "What's going on? Why am I here?"

"Well, um, that's Cas," Angela explained, gesturing to Castiel. "He's our friend. And we need to talk to you about Eve."

Lenore scoffed. "Eve? I have nothing to say about Eve."

"You sure about that?" Dean asked.

"I'm trying to stay away from her, believe me," Lenore assured.

"Where's your nest?" Sam asked.

Lenore clenched her jaw slightly. "Gone." She replied softly. "They couldn't fight it anymore. It's her voice, in our heads. What it does to us. So, they left. Started killing again."

"But not you," Angela replied, looking mildly impressed.

"Don't look so impressed." Lenore scoffed. "I was hiding in a basement. Not exactly Club Med. You don't know how hard it is—not to give in. Everyone gives in."

"Alright, so this psychic two-way you've got going, does that mean you know where Mom's camped out?" Dean asked.

Lenore shook her head in disbelief. "You've got to kidding me." She replied. "You want me to tell you where she is? You do know she could be listening to us right now. I might as well be a video camera." She continued. "What are you thinking?"

"So, we don't have the element of surprise, we're still going in." Bobby cut in.

Lenore shook her head. "You're crazy. I can't help you."

"Can't or won't?" Sam asked. "Look, it's clear as day. You still give a crap. You don't wanna kill. And you don't want this planet dead."

"You actually believe you can stop her?" Lenore raised a brow.

"Just tell us where she is." Angela pleaded.

Lenore sighed. "Grants Pass, Oregon. And now she knows you're coming."

"Well, let's go see," Bobby replied.

"Hold on." Lenore stopped them. "I didn't tell you this out of the goodness of my heart. I need something."

Angela's brows furrowed slightly. "What?"

"Kill me," Lenore demanded.

Sam frowned and shook his head. "Lenore."

"Look, we'll lock you down 'til this whole thing's over with, okay?" Dean cut in. "Witness protection, you'll be safe."

"You don't get it, it's not about that," Lenore replied. "I'm dangerous. I hear her voice all the time."

"You're not like the rest of them," Sam assured.

"I'm _exactly_ like them," Lenore replied as she walked closer to Sam. "I fed. I couldn't help it. The girl couldn't have been more than 16, Sam." She explained. "I'll do it again. I can't stop, not anymore. You have to, please."

Sam looked down at her with sad eyes. "Lenore."

Suddenly, Castiel touched Lenore's head. Light shined out of her eyes and mouth before her face burst into flames. "We needed to move this along," Castiel said gruffly.

~/~\~

Castiel teleported himself, Sam, Dean, Angela, and Bobby to Grants Pass, Oregon. Everything seemed to be normal, people were outside, the sun was shining.

"Well, I was expecting more _Zombieland,_ less _Pleasantville_ ," Dean commented.

"Just because it looks quiet, don't mean it is, especially if she's got a clue we're coming," Bobby replied.

"Yeah, well if she is here I'm glad we got Smitey McSmiterton on our squad," Dean said. "Alright, where do we start?"

"I'm gonna need a computer," Bobby replied as they walked off.

~/~\~

The five of them were in a local diner. Dean sat next to Bobby and Angela sat in between Sam and Castiel. Both Sam and Dean were eating lunch while Bobby looked something up on an iPad.

"Alright." Bobby sighed. "I finally got the police database, no thanks to this." He gestured to the iPad. "I asked for a computer."

Sam rolled his eyes. "It is a computer."

"No, a computer has buttons," Bobby remarked.

"Can I get you anything?" the waitress asked as she walked by.

"No, we're good thanks," Dean replied.

Angela took a vegetable off of Sam's plate and smiled up at him sweetly.

"You know, you could've ordered something," Sam commented with a small smile.

Angela shrugged innocently. "I'm not _that_ hungry. But those veggies looked good." She smiled before she pressed a kiss to Sam's cheek. "Anything?" She asked Bobby.

Bobby shrugged. "Oh, nickel and dime stuff, nothing weird." He replied. "Basically dead end. You think Vampira was lying?"

"I'll search the town," Castiel replied. "Give me a moment." He added, closing his eyes. However, after a few moments, nothing happened.

"Cas, we can still see you," Dean said.

Castiel opened his eyes and frowned. "Yeah, I'm still here."

"Okay, well, you don't have to wait on us, you—

Castiel cleared his throat and closed his eyes again. He looked strained.

"Well, now it just looks like pooping," Dean said.

Castiel opened his eyes and shook his head. "Something's wrong."

"What, are you stuck?" Dean asked, confused.

"I'm blocked. I'm powerless." Castiel frowned.

"You're joking." Dean scoffed.

"Something in this town, is, uh, it's affecting me." Castiel sighed. "I assume it's Eve."

Dean's brows furrowed. "So wait, Mom's making you limp?"

"Figuratively, yes." Castiel nodded.

"How?" Angela asked curiously.

Castiel shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know, but she is."

Dean scoffed. "Well, that's great, because, without your powers, you're basically just a baby in a trench coat."

Castiel frowned at the comment, clearly upset. He turned and faced the window. Dean's brows furrowed in confusion.

"I think you hurt his feelings," Sam muttered.

"I got something here, maybe," Bobby interjected. "Had to go federal to get it. The call went out from the local office to the CDC last night."

"About what?" Angela asked.

"A Dr. Silver called in an illness he couldn't identify," Bobby replied. "Patient's a 25-year-old, African American, name—Ed Bright."

"Well, that's not much to go on," Dean muttered.

"Well, it's the only lead, so—

"So, beggars can't be choosers, right?" Dean interrupted. "I get it. Alright, let's finish up."

~/~\~

An older woman was locking up at a Doctor's office. Dean and Castiel walked up to her.

"Excuse me." Dean stopped her. "Hi, uh, i-is Dr. Silver in today?" He asked. "My friend is very sick." He added, gesturing to Castiel.

"I have a, uh, painful burning sensation," Castiel said.

"Oh, well, he's out." The woman replied. "Sorry."

"Do you happen to know where he is?" Dean asked.

"He hasn't called in." the woman shook her head. "You might want to find yourself some ointment." She told Castiel before she walked off.

"What kind of Doctor called the CDC then goes AWOL the very next day?" Dean asked. "Let's have a look, shall we?"

Dean and Castiel walked behind the building and Dean attempted to pick the lock to the back door of the office.

"Is this gonna take a long time?" Castiel asked impatiently.

Dean gave Castiel a look and then noticed something. "Huh." He muttered, pulling away from the door.

"What is it?" Castiel asked.

Dean bent down and touched a drop of liquid on the ground. It was blood. He showed Castiel and then noticed another door. It was to a shed and there was blood on the lock. Dean broke it open and they found a body wrapped in plastic. Dean opened the plastic to reveal Ed Bright and cringed.

"It's the patient Ed Bright." Castiel frowned.

"Well, what kind of Doctor calls the CDC and then stashed the gooey corpse in the shed?!" Dean asked Castiel.

Castiel shrugged. "I don't understand what's happening here."

"Well. I know one thing about the body." Dean sighed. "We need some kerosene."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela walked out of Dr. Silver's house. Bobby showed Sam and Angela a photo of Dr. Silver and his family.

"Here, Dr. Silver. Wife, two sons." Bobby commented. He handed Sam the photo and frowned when he saw the Sheriff. "Uh oh."

"Hi there." The Sheriff greeted.

"Hi," Sam replied.

"Who're you?" the Sheriff asked.

The three hunters flashed their FBI badges.

The Sheriff eyed them slightly, noticing their casual outfits. "It Casual Friday, agents?"

"We're on a case a few miles out," Angela replied. "We got a call to come here."

"So, how about you, what's your business?" Bobby asked.

"Oh, Dr. Silver's a friend of mine." The Sheriff replied. "Heard he didn't show up for work today, so I thought I'd stop by, see if he's sick."

Bobby shook his head. "Not sick. Missing."

"Missing?" the Sheriff frowned. "Says who?"

"Says me," Bobby replied. "Empty house, no bags packed, the car's still in the driveway."

"How'd you get on this?" the Sheriff asked curiously.

"Oh, it's a long story," Bobby replied. "Tell you what, why don't you put out an APB, we'll compare notes down at the station. Sound good?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah. Sure." The Sheriff nodded.

"Obliged." Bobby smiled as the Sheriff left.

"Wow," Angela smirked.

"Talk about talking out of your butt," Sam added.

"Yeah. Just hurry, you idjits." Bobby muttered.

The three hunters drove off and met up with Dean and Castiel outside of Ed's house.

"Oh," Dean said. "So, we've got a missing Doctor and an oozy patient, huh?"

"Yeah. The plot thickens." Angela replied.

"Well, let's go see what Ed's roommates have to say," Dean suggested.

"Does Ed Bright have a brother?" Castiel asked.

"No, why?" Bobby asked.

"Then that's not his twin." Castiel gestured to the window. Someone who looked exactly like Ed was inside.

"So, what, shifter?" Sam asked.

"I don't know what we're looking at," Bobby replied.

"Alright, Sam, Dean, and I are gonna go in," Angela instructed. "You two stay here and watch the door. If something comes out, shoot it."

"Yeah." Dean nodded in agreement. "Best guess—silver bullets."

"I'm fairly unpracticed with firearms," Castiel interjected.

"You know who whines?" Dean raised a brow. "Babies." He answered, clapping Castiel on the shoulder.

Sam, Dean, and Angela walked towards the house. Dean broke the door down and they stormed in, guns ready. There were several dead Eds all over the lounge.

~/~\~

"Holy crap," Angela muttered.

"Okay, don't touch _anything,_ " Dean instructed.

One of the Eds started moving and Sam frowned.

"Hey, hey. Back here. Come here." Sam said. The three hunters approached him. "Hey, hey, hey. Talk to us. What is it?"

"Hey, Ed. Ed, what's going on?" Dean asked.

'Ed' coughed and groaned. "What? I'm not Ed..."

Angela took his driver's license from his wallet. The guy's name was Marshall Todd.

Marshall groaned. "What's wrong with me?"

"Uh, nothing." Angela lied. "You're okay. You're okay, alright? We're gonna get you help."

"Let me ask you something," Marshall replied. "Do I—do all of us—do we look like Ed?"

"What?" Dean replied. "No, no. No, no, no, no, of course not. You, uh, you have a fever. You're hallucinating."

"Marshall, Marshall," Sam called. "Hey, what happened here?"

"Am I gonna die?" Marshall groaned.

"No, you're not gonna die, okay?" Angela replied. "Now you need to talk to us. It's important."

Marshall sputtered slightly. "Ed was feeling back so I took him to the Doctor." He coughed. "I think…now we're all sick."

"You think?" Dean muttered.

"And before you got sick before Ed got sick, did you do anything?" Sam asked. "Did you go anywhere? Hey, I need you to focus for me."

"I don't know." Marshall shook his head. "Some bar."

"A bar?" Angela asked, her brows raised. "What bar?"

"8th Street, I guess," Marshall muttered.

"8th Street, uhm did anything happen at the bar?" Sam asked. "Did you—did you see anything? Did you meet anyone?"

Marshall violently coughed.

"Look, an ambulance is on the way, okay?" Angela said.

"A girl," Marshall replied weakly.

"A girl? Okay, and?" Dean asked.

"A girl in white."

"Good, okay." Dean nodded. "What did the girl in white do? Marshall? Wh-wh-what did she do to Ed, Marshall?!"

Marshall slumped over and died. Sam, Dean, and Angela walked out of the house.

"I don't get it," Dean said. "What, a bunch of regular Joes wake up shifters? What the hell?"

"Shifters usually run in families. This looks like an infection." Bobby replied. "Nobody touched nothing?"

Dean shuddered. "Well, I am bathing in Purell tonight."

"So, he said they met a girl," Sam interjected.

"It's got to be Eve," Angela replied.

"But why would she do this?" Castiel frowned.

"Mommy monster, make more." Bobby shrugged.

Dean shook his head. "No, no, no, no. Cas has got a good point. I mean, if she's gonna make a shifter army, why make one that's sick, gooey, and dying?"

Bobby shrugged. "Add that to the pile of Crap That Doesn't Make Sense."

"So, should we hit the bar?" Sam asked.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, Bobby, and Castiel entered the bar. The place was absolutely destroyed and there were dead bodies everywhere.

"Well, the Sheriff's a moot, but still," Bobby muttered. "You'd think he'd notice this many missing folks."

Dean went up to one of the bodies. Using a cloth, he lifted its lip, revealing a set of vampire fangs. "We got a vamp over here." He said. Dean lifted the body's arm. A spike was protruding from its wrist. "Nope. Scratch that. We got a wraith. What the hell? What has teeth and a spike?" he asked as he stood up.

"Never seen that in my life," Bobby replied.

"Oh, great." Dean scoffed. "So, Eve's making hybrids now?"

"Looks like." Bobby sighed.

"Yeah, the question is why," Dean muttered. "I mean what does she want with the…what do you call these?"

Bobby shrugged. "Well, congrats. You discovered it. You get to name it."

Dean paused in thought. "Jefferson Starships." He replied. Sam, Angela, and Bobby looked confused. "Huh, because they're horrible and hard to kill," Dean explained.

Angela sighed. "Looks like the whole bar has been turned into these—

"Jefferson Starships." Dean cut in.

"Fine," Angela replied. "But why are all the…Starships dead?"

"I can't say, but looks like they all burned up," Bobby replied.

"Burned up, like?" Dean raised a brow.

"Like a high fever, like the flu," Bobby answered, clearly confused.

"What the hell's going on here?" Dean frowned. "Does every monster in this town have the motaba virus?"

Suddenly, the Sheriff and three cops entered the door with guns.

"Hands where I can see 'em!" the Sheriff yelled.

Dean, unnoticed, hid behind the bar.

"Now, this is not what it looks like," Castiel said.

"Look, we're the Feds." Bobby tried.

"Yeah? Well, Feds are not allowed to do this." The Sheriff replied. "Cuff 'em. Turn around."

Sam, Bobby, Angela, and Castiel were cuffed and led out. Dean emerged from behind the bar.

~/~\~

Sam, Bobby, Angela, and Castiel were pushed into the Sheriff's station.

"Listen if we can make a phone call, we can straighten this all out!" Sam tried to reason.

"Straighten out a massacre?" the Sheriff scoffed. "I'd like to see you try."

Sam glanced at the security footage—the Sheriff's eyes were glowing. Sam headbutted him. "J-Jefferson Starships!"

Sam kicked one, Castiel and Angela were pushed against the wall by two others, and Dean cut their heads off. One tried to bite Sam and Castiel killed the one trying to attack Bobby. Angela got ready to kill the Sheriff who was attacking Sam. Angela pulled the Sheriff off of Sam and threw him to the ground.

"Angie, wait!" Sam exclaimed.

The Sheriff was taken to the interrogation room and was chained in silver. Bobby held a knife and Castiel stood at the door. Sam, Dean, and Angela watched from outside the window.

"Well, I'll say this, you're the healthiest looking specimen I've seen all day," Bobby commented.

"I take my vitamins." The Sheriff smirked.

"So, you wanna tell us what's going on here? Hmm?" Bobby asked. "So, you boys are, uh, Eve's cleaning crew, is that it? You, uh, you come around to clean up the bodies? Make sure the word doesn't get out, huh? Is that why you snatched up the Doctor?"

The Sheriff sighed. "You're wasting your time. You stupid head of cattle." He laughed.

Sam, Dean, and Angela heard something coming from behind them.

"More Starships," Dean muttered before he walked off to investigate.

"Stay here," Sam told Castiel.

Sam and Angela went after Dean. They followed the blood on the wall which led them to the cells. In one cell were two boys, tied up and gagged. Sam recognized them from the photo.

"You're Dr. Silver's boys," Sam said. The older boy nodded. "Alright, don't worry," Sam assured. "We're gonna get you out of here, okay? Uh, keys?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded. He went to find the keys.

"Look. We're not gonna hurt you." Angela assured. "My name is Angela, and this is Sam. That's our brother, Dean." She gestured to him when he came back with the keys. "Those cops, they're not coming back, ever." She added as Dean opened the cell.

They carefully ungagged the boys.

"What are your names?" Sam asked gently.

"Joe." The older one answered. "This is Ryan."

"Hey Ryan, how you doing?" Dean asked softly.

Ryan shied away from Dean and looked at the ground.

"He won't talk, not since they came for us," Joe said.

"Alright, listen, Joe," Dean replied. "We're gonna get you out of those handcuffs. Um, but you understand what's going on around here, don't you? So, first, we've gotta make sure you're you."

"How you gonna do that?" Joe asked curiously.

"Well, there's a few, uh, dozen tests," Dean replied. "Okay, let's get started."

~/~\~

Dean brought the boys into the main room. "Got a couple of hungry human boys here. C'mon guys."

"So you two never heard 'em talk…about a mother, or someone named Eve?" Sam asked.

Joe shook his head. "It was just me and Ryan in there."

"And your folks?" Dean asked.

"Cops said we were next. He said we were food."

"Do you have any other family, sweetie?" Angela asked.

"An uncle, in Merritt," Joe replied.

"Merritt, what's that, like 15 miles outside of town?" Dean asked. "Okay. We'll get you there."

Castiel frowned. "Dean, can I have a word?"

Dean nodded and walked over to Castiel.

"We need to find Eve _now_ ," Castiel stressed.

"Yeah. Go. Me, Angie, and Sam just gotta make a milk run." Dean replied.

Castiel sighed. "We need your help here."

"Hold your water." Dean frowned. "We'll be back in a few."

"Dean, Dean. Millions of lives are at stakes here, not just two." Castiel reminded. "Stay focused."

"Are you kidding?" Dean asked, his brows furrowing.

"There's a greater purpose here," Castiel replied.

"You know what, I-I'm getting a little sick and tired of the greater purposes, okay?" Dean snapped. "I think what I'd like to do now is save a couple of kids. If you don't mind. We'll catch up." He added. "Okay, guys, let's go. C'mon." He turned to the two young boys.

Dean walked out with Joe and Ryan. Sam and Angela followed.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were in the front seat. Angela sat in between Sam and Dean, her head resting on Sam's shoulder. The two young boys sat in the back.

Joe looked at Ryan. "Hey, you should get some rest." He said softly as he wrapped his arm around his brother.

Sam and Dean looked knowingly at them in the rearview mirror. Dean smiled at the familiar scene.

~/~\~

In Merritt, the kids were reunited with their uncle. He hugged Ryan tightly, then Joe. The three hunters looked on for a few moments before leaving.

* * *


	38. Mommy Dearest Part 2

Dean looked into the interrogation room and saw that the Sheriff had been decapitated. "Rigorous interrogation, huh?"

"Well, we got a location," Bobby replied. "Now we just gotta get close enough to take a shot."

"Alright." Dean nodded. "Well, let's all take one." He said, giving a shell to everyone. "Load 'em up. Make 'em count."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, Bobby, and Castiel walked down the street. The found the address. It was the diner that they were in earlier.

"You gotta be kidding me." Dean groaned. "She's been in there the whole time?"

"Why'd she ever let us in? Or out?" Sam frowned.

"Well, there's one way to find out." Dean shrugged.

"What, just stroll in?" Bobby raised a brow. "We don't know who's human or who's her."

"Well, there's one way to draw her out." Dean shrugged. "Me, Angie, and Sam will go in."

"Dean." Bobby sighed.

"Look, if we don't get a shot off, you two better," Dean replied.

"That's the plan?" Bobby scoffed.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

Sam and Angela handed Bobby their bags. Dean took his bag with him. The three younger hunters walked to the diner.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela entered the diner and sat down. There were several other people inside.

Sam cleared his throat and looked around.

"Now what?" Angela asked.

Sam used his phone's camera to see if anyone's eyes were glowing. Everyone's eyes were and Sam sighed. "Crap. Crap. Crap."

"Starships?" Dean asked.

"Yeah."

"Is there anybody in this diner that _is not_ a flesh-eating monster?" Dean grumbled.

"Uh, me, you, and Angie," Sam replied.

"Okay, well, let's get the hell out of here," Angela suggested.

"Shall we?" Sam agreed.

Eve, disguised as a waitress came out with three plates. "Three specials, right?" She asked, setting the plates down.

"Uh, no, that's not for us." Sam smiled politely. "We were just headed out."

Eve put her hands on her hips. "Now, that would be rude, Sam."

Sam swallowed nervously. "Let me guess. Eve."

"Pleasure." Eve smiled.

"Why don't we step outside," Dean suggested. "Chat?"

"Why?" Eve's brows furrowed. "This is private."

The Starships closed the blinds so that no one could see in through the windows. One of them took Dean's bag and opened it. Eve removed one of the guns and smelled it.

"Phoenix ash." She commented. "I'm impressed. I bet you had to go a long way for that."

"You have no idea." Dean seethed.

Eve turned to one of the Starships. "Destroy these." She commanded. "Thank you." She added as he took the guns. She turned to face the three hunters. "Relax. I'm not here to fight."

"No?" Dean asked. "Just to rally every freak on the planet, bring in Khan Worms and-and half-assed spider-men, and _dragons_. Really, sister? _Dragons?_ "

Eve just shrugged. "So, I dusted off some of the old classics. I needed help."

"With what?" Angela scoffed. "Tearing apart the planet?"

"You misunderstand me," Eve replied. "I never wanted that. Not at first. I liked our arrangement."

"What arrangement?" Sam asked, his brows furrowing.

"The natural order." Eve clarified. "My children turned a few of you, you hunted a few of them. I was happy."

"Okay, so what changed?" Dean asked.

"My children, no thanks to you, started getting kidnapped and tortured," Eve explained. "Even my first-borns. I was pushed into this. After all, a mother defends her children."

"Really?" Angela raised a brow. "You're gonna use the Mother of The Year defense? You?"

"It happens to be true." Eve defended. "Know what? Maybe you'll believe me if I look a little more like this." She added before she transformed into Angela's mother, Lillian Ann.

Angela glared and clenched her jaw. Sam gently took her hand in his and gave her a comforting squeeze. "Oh, you _bitch,_ " Angela growled.

"She died to protect you, didn't she?" Eve asked, raising her brows. "See. You understand a mother's love. I'm no different."

"Alright, you know what?" Angela replied. "This conversation's over. If you're gonna kill us, kill us!"

"You?" Eve frowned. "No. It's Crowley I want dead."

Dean scoffed. "Well, you're too late there, that little limey mook roasted months ago."

Eve smirked. "Crowley's alive."

"That's impossible." Sam frowned.

Eve scoffed. "I see his face through the eyes of every child he strings up and skins. Any idea why he's hurting my babies?"

Angela shrugged. "He wants Purgatory, right? Location, location, location."

Eve laughed. "Is that what he told you? It's about the souls."

Sam scoffed. "What about 'em?"

"Their power, you simple little monkey." Eve sighed. "Fuel. Each soul a beautiful little nuclear reactor. Put 'em together, you have the sun. Now think what the king of Hell could do with that vast, untapped oil well. How powerful he'd be." She explained. "Now Crowley wants to siphon off my supply, and torture my children to do it? Okay fine. I'll quit playing nice. I'll turn you all. Every soul, mine. Let's see how hot his Hell burns when everyone comes to me." She smirked. "He asked for it."

"You know, last I checked, there were a few billion of us." Dean glared. "That plan might take a while."

Eve shook his head. "What exactly do you think I'm doing here? I'm building the perfect beast."

Sam frowned in realization. "Wait a second, all those…all those things we've been finding."

"Call it beta testing." Eve shrugged.

"Well, I think your formula might be a little off." Angela scoffed. "They're imploding all over town."

"Oh, there were a few unfortunate failures." Eve agreed. "But, I eventually got it right. Quiet, smart, inconspicuous. It can spread through a whole town in under a day, oh and the best part, you've been with it the whole time."

Dean frowned in confusion. "What?"

"Yes, you were the final test." Eve continued. "I had to see if it could slip past hunters undetected, of course." She smiled evilly. "Little Ryan."

~/~\~

"You look upset." Eve sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, Ryan was bound to work on you. Little wayward orphan, like yourselves." She added, pinching Angela's cheek. "There's nothing you can do about it now. So, let's talk."

"Nothing to say." Angela snarled.

"Well, that's where you're wrong." Eve countered. "I have an offer to propose. Crowley. As you know, not so easy to find. So, here's the deal. You find him, bring him to me, I let you live."

"Pass." Angela glared.

"Angie…" Sam started.

"Sam, no," Angela replied firmly. "The answer is no."

"You say that like you have another option," Eve replied.

"Maybe we do, maybe we don't." Dean glared.

"You think?" Eve raised a brow as Bobby and Castiel were brought in. "Well, so much for your plan B." she shrugged. "And you," she looked at Castiel. "Wondering why so flaccid? I'm older than you think, Castiel. I know what makes angels tick. Long as I'm around, consider yourself…unplugged." She smirked. She turned back to the three younger hunters. "Work for me. It's a good deal. Bonus, I won't kill your friends."

"Alright, look." Angela glared. "The last few months we've been working for an evil dick. We're not about to sign up for an evil bitch. We don't work with demons. We don't work with monsters. And if that means you gotta kill us, then kill us!"

"Or, I turn you," Eve replied. "And you do what I want anyway."

"Beat me with a wire hanger, the answer's still no," Angela replied.

Eve was suddenly behind Angela. She grabbed her shoulder and had her head next to Angela's. Sam and Dean got up but were restrained by Starships. The two men struggled.

"Don't test me," Eve warned.

"Bite me," Angela growled.

Eve lunged down and bit into Angela's neck, causing her to yell in pain.

"Angie!" Sam yelled, thrashing against the Starship.

"No!" Dean yelled.

Eve staggered back, coughing. Angela smirked.

"Phoenix ash," Angela commented. "One shell, one ounce of whiskey. Down the hatch. Little musty on the afterburn." She added. "Call you later, Mom."

A light shined from Eve's chest. She morphed from Lillian Ann back to her brunette form. She choked violently. Dark liquid came out of her mouth and nose. She fell to the ground and died. Suddenly, the Starship started attacking.

"Shut your eyes!" Castiel yelled. He created a blast of white light throughout the diner, killing all the monsters.

"We got to take you on more monster hunts," Bobby muttered.

Sam ran over to Angela and frowned, obviously worries. "Cas, um, Angie's bleeding pretty good…"

Angela held a hand to her neck and groaned. "Yeah, I think she turned me into a Jefferson Starship. Could you clear that up, too?"

Castiel touched Angela's shoulder and her wound was healed. Sam pulled Angela to him protectively.

"I'm okay, Sammy." She assured. "I'm okay."

"Pretty ballsy, kid," Dean commented. "Alright, we got to go. Now."

"Where?" Castiel frowned.

"The kid." Dean sighed. "He's one of 'em."

Castiel rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Unbelievable."

"Yeah, I know, Cas, you told me, alright." Dean snapped. "Let's just go."

Castiel shook his head in disbelief. Angela put the empty shell on the table and Castiel teleported all of them to the uncle's house.

~/~\~

The uncle was lying dead on the floor.

"So, we kill the wicked witch and she still wins." Dean scoffed. "I mean, they could've turned half the town by now." He added. He turned to Castiel, who was about to say something. "Don't say it."

Bobby was walking around, investigating. He found the door and opened it, revealing both Ryan and Joe's dead bodies. "Found 'em." Bobby sighed.

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Castiel went to go see.

"Well, who ganked them?" Dean asked.

Sam bent down and touched a yellow powder. "Demons…" he frowned.

~/~\~

"So, what do you think?" Sam asked.

"I think that demons don't give a crap about monster tweens unless they're told to," Dean replied.

"So, you think she was telling the truth?" Angela frowned.

"The truth about what?" Castiel asked.

Angela sighed. "Eve. She said that Crowley's still kicking."

Castiel's brows furrowed in confusion. "But I burned his bones…Was she certain?"

"Sounded pretty sure," Dean replied. "According to her, Crowley's still waterboarding her kids, somewhere."

"I don't understand." Castiel shook his head.

"Well, he is a crafty son of a bitch." Angela scoffed.

"I'm an angel. I'll look into it immediately." Castiel replied before he disappeared.

"Cas!" Dean exclaimed. "Let us know what you find out!"

Bobby and Sam walked away, both looking like they wanted to say something.

Angela looked between them and frowned. "What?"

Bobby sighed deeply. "How did Crowley get away?" he asked. "I mean it's not like Cas to make mistakes like that. Unless-

"Unless what?" Dean frowned.

"Unless he meant to," Bobby replied.

Angela's brows furrowed. "Bobby, this is Cas we're talking about." She defended the angel. She turned to Sam. "Do you believe this?" she asked. There was a long pause and her frown deepened. "Sammy?"

Sam sighed and shook his head. "Look it's probably nothing, it's just…You know what? You guys are right. It's—it's probably nothing."

~/~\~

Angela was in the guestroom of Bobby's house sitting on the bed she shared with Sam. She had a small photo album open on her lap and she looked at it thoughtfully. Sam cracked the door open and poked his head in.

"Hey," Sam greeted as he fully opened the door and walked inside. He sat next to Angela on the bed and looked at the photo album curiously. "What're you looking at?"

Angela looked up and him and smiled softly. "A photo album. Seeing Eve look like my mom...I don't know, made me kinda nostalgic. My dad was a pretty sentimental guy...He put this photo album together until the day he died." She murmured.

Sam wrapped his arm around Angela and gently pulled her close to him. "My dad never did stuff like that..." He murmured as he looked at the photos. His eyes landed on a photo of Angela from when she was about five-years-old. "You were adorable." Sam smiled softly.

Angela's eyes landed on the photo that Sam was looking at and she giggled. "That was my first day of kindergarten," She smiled. Angela flipped through the pages and pointed at a photo. "This was my junior prom," She noted.

Sam stared at the photo with a small smile. A 17-year-old Angela was wearing a baby blue strapless prom dress with matching shoes. Her hair was curled and she had light makeup on.

"You're beautiful," Sam said softly.

Angela blushed slightly. "Sammy, that dress I'm wearing is ridiculous!"

"Ridiculously beautiful." Sam grinned.

Angela rolled her eyes playfully. "You're so cheesy."

Sam kissed her on the cheek sweetly. "That's nice, though. That your dad wanted you to have a semi-normal life."

Angela nodded in agreement. "Yeah." She murmured. "God, I miss him..." She breathed, swallowing back tears.

Sam kissed Angela's temple comfortingly. "You know, we should keep this photo album going."

Angela's brows furrowed slightly. "What?"

"We'll keep putting photos in there until it's all filled up." Sam shrugged. "Here," Sam said as he pulled out his phone and flipped it open.

"Sam, do not take a picture of me," Angela warned. "I look gross..."

"Not possible," Sam replied with a small smile. "One picture. Please?"

There was a ghost of a smile on Angela's lips as she contemplated it. That's when Sam took the chance to snap a photo.

"Sam!" Angela exclaimed. "I wasn't ready!"

Sam smiled at the photo. "I'm gonna print that out and we're gonna put it in the photo album." He said softly before he shut his phone.

"You're not even gonna let me see it?" Angela sighed.

Sam shook his head. "You'll try and delete it. Just trust me when I say that you're beautiful, okay?"

Angela smiled shyly and leaned up to kiss Sam softly. "You're lucky I like you," She teased.


	39. The Man Who Would be King Part 1

_Castiel was sitting on a park bench. The ground was covered in snow and the sky was cloudy._

" _You know, I've…I've been here for a very long time," Castiel said to no one in particular. "And I remember many things. I remember being at a shoreline, watching a little grey fish heave itself up on the beach and an older brother saying, 'Don't step on that fish, Castiel. Big plans for that fish'." He recalled. "I remember the Tower of Babel…All 37 feet of it, which I suppose was impressive at the time. And when it fell, they howled 'divine wrath'. But come on, dried dung can only be stacked so high. I remember Cain and Abel…David and Goliath…Sodom and Gomorrah."_

" _And, of course, I remember the most remarkable event," Castiel continued. "Remarkable because it never came to pass. It was averted by two boys, a fierce woman, an old drunk, and a fallen angel. The grand story. And we ripped up the ending and the rules…And destiny…leaving nothing but freedom and choice. Which is all well and good, except…Well, what if I've made the wrong choice? How am I supposed to know?" He asked. "Let me tell you my story. Let me tell you everything."_

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were in the Impala, driving along a dark road. Suddenly, Castiel appeared in the backseat.

"Hello, Dean. Angela." He greeted. He noticed their sullen faces. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, we're…we're fine, Cas," Angela assured. "How are you?"

"Just wanted to check in," Castiel replied.

"So, uh, any word on Satan Jr. being alive?" Dean asked.

"I'm…looking, believe me," Castiel assured. "I just don't understand how Crowley could have tricked me."

"Well, he's a tricky son of a bitch. That's how." Angela replied. "Doesn't matter."

"But, if he is up and kicking, then what does matter is finding him, ripping his head off, and shoving it up his ass." Dean continued.

"What about you?" Castiel asked. "Have you two found anything?"

"No, nothing yet." Angela sighed.

"Where's Sam?" Castiel asked curiously.

"He's keeping busy," Dean replied. "He's tracking a Djinn in Omaha as we speak. In fact, we're heading out there right now to meet up with him."

Castiel nodded. "Well, I'd come if I could."

"Yeah, no, we—we get it. No worries." Dean replied.

"But, Cas, you'll call right?" Angela asked softly. "If you get into real trouble?"

The two hunters didn't receive an answer. There was a flutter of wings and Castiel was gone.

~/~\~

Crowley was examining Eve's corpse, and he also had a vampire shackled nearby.

"Howdy, partner." Crowley greeted as Castiel walked in.

"What have you found?" Castiel asked.

"I've found a lot of things. For example…Eve's brain? Dead as a tinned kipper. And yet…" Crowley reached inside Eve and pulled out a handful of eggs. "For some reason…She keeps laying eggs. Watch this," he added. Crowley took a poker and placed it on Eve's brain. The vampire seized violently. "Chocula here feels every tickle."

"What is that good for?" Castiel's brows furrowed.

Crowley shrugged. "Apart from the obvious erotic value, you got me."

Castiel sighed, frustrated. "You said Eve could open the door to Purgatory."

"Correct. I did." Crowley nodded. "And I'm confident that she _could_ have if she was still alive! Single best chance to get other the rainbow and your little friends killed her!"

"It was unavoidable." Castiel defended.

"You screwed up, Cas." Crowley scoffed. "You let the hounds mangle the pheasant, and now I am up to my elbows in it."

"What is your point?" Castiel asked.

"The point is…you're distracted, and that makes me nervous."

"I am holding up my end," Castiel assured.

"Ah, yes. But is that all you're holding?" Crowley asked. "See…the stench of that Impala's all over your overcoat, Angel. I thought we'd agreed, no more nights out with them…"

"I spoke with Dean and Angela. I needed to know what they know." Castiel defended.

"About what? About me, maybe?" Crowley's brows raised. "'Cause I happen to have it on good authority that your three little pets are currently trying to hunt me down! Forgive me, but I think you might have a little conflict of interest here."

~/~\~

" _Crowley had a point, of course," Castiel said. "My interest was conflicted. I still considered myself the Winchesters' and Angela's guardian. After all…they taught me how to stand up…What to stand for…And what generally happens when you do."_

" _I was done…" Castiel recalled when Lucifer killed him. "And then the most extraordinary thing happened. I was put back. And we had won. We stopped Armageddon. But at a terrible cost."_

~/~\~

_Sam stood under the streetlight outside of Lisa's house. He watched Dean and Angela, who were inside the house and Castiel watched Sam._

" _And so I knew what I had to do next," Castiel said. "Once again, I went to Harrow Hell, to free Sam from Lucifer's cage. It was nearly impossible, but I was so full of confidence, of mission. I see now that was arrogance…Hubris…Because, of course, I hadn't truly raised Sam—not all of him." Castiel explained. "Sometimes we're lucky enough to be given a warning. This should have been mine."_

~/~\~

"Please," Crowley said, bringing Castiel back to reality. "I'm begging you, Castiel. Just kill the Winchesters and Angela."

"No," Castiel replied firmly.

Crowley glared. "Fine. Then I'll do it myself."

"If you kill them, I'll just bring them back again," Castiel argued.

Crowley shook his head. "No, you won't. Not where I'll put 'em. Trust me."

"I said… No. Don't worry about them." Castiel assured.

Crowley scoffed. "Don't worry about—what, like Lucifer, didn't worry? Or Michael and Sophia? Or Lilith, or Alastair, or Azazel didn't worry?! Am I the only game piece on the board who doesn't underestimate those denim-wrapped nightmares?!"

Castiel clenched his jaw. "Just find Purgatory." He commanded. "If you don't, we will both die again and again, until the end of time. The Winchesters and Angela won't get to you." He added before he turned and walked away.

"Let them get to me!" Crowley called after Castiel. "I'll tear their friggin' hearts out!"

~/~\~

A demon named Red was strapped to a chair under a devil's trap on Bobby's ceiling.

"I got to tell you, Red…for a filthy, lower-than-snake-spit Hellspawn, you seem to have turned yourself into a damn fine hunter," Bobby commented. "I don't know whether to kill you or kiss you."

"Oh, please, kill me," Red growled.

"That was you that dug-out that nest of vamps back in Swan Valley, wasn't it?" Bobby questioned.

"That was nice work," Sam admitted.

Red smirked. "Eight of 'em in one go, roped and tied."

"And then you brought them to Crowley, right?" Bobby asked.

Red laughed and shook his head. "Read the papers, redneck. The king is dead."

Bobby chuckled and tossed holy water onto Red's neck, causing the demon to groan in pain. "Crowley's alive," Bobby replied. "You prove it just by being, you poor, dumb jackass. Crowley's alive. His nets are out. Except now he's using you schmucks to hunt his monsters."

"Up yours," Red growled.

Bobby turned to Sam and held out his hand. Sam handed Bobby Ruby's knife. Dean and Angela walked into the room and Dean nodded towards Sam. Sam went into the kitchen with them.

~/~\~

"So, what'd you guys tell him?" Sam asked.

"Nothing. Just relax." Dean sighed.

Bobby walked in, his brows furrowed. "What's the hubbub?"

"We saw Cas," Angela replied. "He popped in on us about two hours back."

"What'd you tell him?" Bobby frowned.

"Nothing, alright?" Angela replied, frustrated. "Told him we were on some crap monster hunt. He doesn't know we're getting close to Crowley." She added. After a pause, she sighed deeply. "You know, he's our friend….and we are lying to him through our teeth."

Sam sighed and gently took one of Angela's hands in his. "Angie—

"So he burned the wrong bones!" Angela defended. "So, Crowley tricked him."

"He's an angel," Bobby argued.

Dean scoffed. "He is the Balki Bartokomous of Heaven! He can make a mistake!"

"Nobody's saying nothing yet." Bobby tried to calm Dean down.

"You think that Cas is in with Crowley." Dean scoffed. "Crowley?!"

"Look, I'm just saying I don't know," Bobby said gently. "Now, look, I hate myself for even thinking it. But, I don't know."

Castiel was standing behind the four hunters, invisible.

"Look, guys, he's our friend too, okay?" Sam said. "And I'd die for him. I would, but…look, I'm praying we're wrong here."

"But if we ain't…If there's a snowball of a snowball's chance here…that means we're dealing with a Superman who's gone dark side." Bobby continued. "Which means we've got to be cautious, we got to be smart, and maybe stock up on some Kryptonite."

"This makes you Lois Lane," Dean told Sam.

"Look, one problem at a time here," Bobby added. "We got to find Crowley now, before the damn fool cracks open Purgatory."

" _So, they already suspected," Castiel recalled. "And the worst part was Dean and Angela, trying so hard to be loyal, with every instinct telling them otherwise."_

"I don't know where Crowley is!" Red cried.

"Are you sure about that?" Bobby asked. "'Cause we can twist again all the way to next Summer." He added as he twisted the knife.

"Oh, God!" Red yelled. "I never even met him! I don't deal with Crowley direct!"

"Well, who do you deal with?" Bobby pressed.

"The dispatcher. A demon named Ellsworth."

~/~\~

" _If there was a demon counterpart to Bobby Singer, Ellsworth would be it," Castiel said. "These demons would lead the Winchesters and Angela to Crowley, and Crowley would tear their hearts out."_

Castiel suddenly appeared in Ellsworth's house and killed the two demons right in front of the desk.

"Oh, hell," Ellsworth muttered. He attempted to leave his host, but Castiel pushed the black smoke back into the body and killed Ellsworth as well.

" _I had no choice." Castiel defended. "I did it to protect them. Or to protect myself. I-I don't know anymore."_

~/~\~

Dean and Bobby entered Ellsworth's house through the front door, Sam and Angela met them inside the house.

"Hey. Clear from the back." Angela said.

"Demons get tipped and bugged out?" Dean asked.

"Maybe they run from us now." Sam hoped. "I mean, that would be a nice thought, right?"

"Yeah, if that's what happened," Bobby muttered.

"Yeah." Sam sighed.

" _Hiding…Lying…Sweeping away evidence," Castiel explained guiltily. "And my motives used to be so pure. After supposedly saving Sam, I finally returned to Heaven."_

~/~\~

" _Of course, there isn't one Heaven. Each soul generates its own paradise. I favored the eternal Tuesday afternoon of an autistic man who drowned in a bathtub in 1953."_

Castiel turned to see Rachel and a few other angels staring at him in awe.

"You're alive." Rachel said in disbelief.

"Yes." Castiel smiled a small smile.

"Castiel, we saw Lucifer destroy you," Rachel replied.

"Well, I came back," Castiel replied.

Rachel's brows furrowed. "But Lucifer? Michael? Sophia?"

"They're gone," Castiel assured.

Rachel smiled. "It was God, wasn't it?"

Castiel shook his head. "No. It was Angela Morgan and the Winchesters. They brought down the Apocalypse."

"But, you beat the Archangels, Castiel," Rachel replied. "God brought you back. He chose you, Cas…To lead us."

"No. No one leads us anymore." Castiel replied. "We're all free to make our own choices and to choose our own fates."

Rachel frowned in confusion. "What does God want?"

"God wants you to have freedom." Castiel smiled softly.

"But what does he want us to do with it?" Rachel pressed.

" _If I knew what I know now…I might have said…It's simple. Freedom is a length of rope. God wants you to hang yourself with it." Castiel explained._

~/~\~

" _Those first weeks back in Heaven were surprisingly difficult. Explaining freedom to angels is a bit like teaching poetry to fish. And then there was Raphael…"_

Castiel appeared in a nicely decorated room. He turned and saw Raphael sitting on a large chair.

"You came," Raphael said. "I appreciate the courage that takes."

"Whose heaven is this?" Castiel asked as he looked around, noticing a large picture of George W. Bush.

"Ken Lay's," Raphael replied. "I'm borrowing it."

"I still question his admittance here," Castiel muttered.

Raphael shrugged. "He's devout. Trumps everything."

"What do you want?" Castiel asked.

"Tomorrow, I've called for a full assembly of the Holy Host," Raphael replied. "You'll kneel before me and pledge allegiance to the flag, alright?"

"And what flag is that?" Castiel pressed.

"Me, Castiel. Allegiance to me."

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "Are you joking?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Raphael countered.

"You never look like you're joking," Castiel mumbled.

"You rebelled, against God, Heaven, and me," Raphael explained. "Now you will atone. We'll start by freeing Michael, Lucifer, and Sophia from their cage. And then we'll get our show back on the road."

"Raphael…No." Castiel pleaded. "The Apocalypse doesn't have to be fought!"

"Of course it does. It's God's will."

"How can you say that?!" Castiel exclaimed.

"Because it's what I want," Raphael replied with a shrug.

"Well, the other angels won't let you," Castiel replied.

"Are you sure?" Raphael raised a brow. "You know better than anyone, Castiel. They're soldiers. They weren't built for freedom. They were built to follow."

"Then I won't let you." Castiel glared.

"Really? You?" Raphael scoffed, sending Castiel back to the drowned man's heaven.

~/~\~

" _I'm not ashamed to say that my big brother knocked me into next week." Castiel sighed._

Raphael stood over Castiel, who had a blood nose. "Tomorrow you kneel, Castiel…Or you and anyone with you dies."

~/~\~

"Hey…the place is clean." Sam shrugged.

"Yeah, but it's…it's like 'Mr. Clean' clean, you know?" Bobby replied. "It's kind of OCD for your average demon."

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "So, what now?"

"We'd call Cas," Angela muttered.

Sam's brows furrowed. "What?"

Angela looked up at Sam, chewing on her lip slightly. "This is usually the point where we would call Cas for help."

Bobby sighed deeply. "We talked about this."

"No, you talked." Dean cut in. "We listened. This is _Cas_ , guys. I mean, when there was no one…And we were stuck, and I mean _really_ stuck, he broke ranks. He has gone to the mat cut and bleeding for us so many freakin' times. This is Cas!" He explained. "Don't we owe him the benefit of the doubt at least?"

Sam sighed and closed his eyes. "Castiel…This is really important, okay? Um…We really need to talk to you."

Dean closed his eyes when there was no response. "Castiel…Come on in."

" _But, I didn't go to them…Because I knew they would have questions I couldn't answer…Because I was afraid." Castiel sighed._

"Cas is busy." Angela shrugged.

"That's alright. We are, too." Sam replied, gently taking Angela's hand in his. "Come on."

"Back to square one," Bobby muttered.

"Great." Dean scoffed. "Well, what do we do now?"

"Well, we caught one hunter demon before. We can do it again."

Suddenly, a group of demons came bursting through the door.

"Dean!" Sam yelled as Dean was attacked.

The other demons started attacking Sam, Bobby, and Angela as well.

"Crowley says hi." The demon growled as he hovered over Dean.


	40. The Man Who Would be King Part 2

" _Crowley sent his very best," Castiel said. "I was caught as much by surprise as the rest of them. And it left me with yet another choice. I could reveal myself and smite the demons. Of course, Crowley wouldn't like it. But, on the other hand, they were my friends."_

Castiel suddenly appeared and quickly smote the demons that were attacking the four hunters.

" _For a brief moment…I was me again," Castiel recalled._

Angela grinned and ran over to hug Castiel tightly. "It is so good to see you, Cas." She murmured into his trench coat before she pulled away.

Castiel looked between the four hunters. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Perfect timing."

"I'm glad I found you. I come with news." Castiel declared.

"Yeah? What?" Dean asked.

"I firmly believe Crowley is alive." He stated.

Dean chuckled. "Yeah. You think, Kojak?" He smiled slightly. "Well, Bobby, what do we think about Cas saving our asses…Again?"

Bobby sighed. "I think we owe you an apology." He admitted.

Castiel tilted his head in confusion. "Why?"

"We've been hunting Crowley this whole time…And keeping it from you," Sam confessed.

"We thought…You were working with him," Bobby added.

Castiel frowned. "You thought what?"

"I know," Angela replied. "It's crazy, right?"

"It's just that you torched the wrong bones." Bobby sighed. "It doesn't matter. We—we were wrong."

"You know…You could've just asked me." Castiel chided.

"And we should have." Angela agreed. "We never should've doubted you. It's…I just hope you can forgive us, Cas."

" _Wonders never cease," Castiel commented. "They trusted me again. But, it was just another lie."_

Castiel smiled softly. "It's forgotten."

"Thanks," Dean replied, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Yeah. Thanks, Cas." Sam nodded.

"It is a little absurd, though," Castiel noted.

"I know, I know." Bobby sighed.

"Superman going to the dark side." Castiel joked. "I'm still just Castiel."

Sam and Bobby didn't think anything of the comment at that moment. Dean and Angela however, frowned and tried to hide their betrayal.

"I guess we can put away the Kryptonite, right?" Dean asked, his jaw slightly clenched.

"Exactly." Castiel agreed.

" _Of course, I didn't realize it at the time," Castiel explained. "But it was all over. Right then, just like that."_

~/~\~

Castiel charged into Crowley's lab. "You sent demons after them?"

"You kill my hunters." Crowley shrugged. "Why can't I kill yours?"

"They're my friends," Castiel growled.

"You can't have friends, not anymore." Crowley lectured. "I mean, my God. You're losing it!"

"I'm fine," Castiel assured.

"Yeah. You're the very picture of mental health." Crowley scoffed. "Come on. You don't think I know what this is all about?"

"Enlighten me." Castiel glared.

"The big lie—Angela and the Winchesters still buy it," Crowley replied. "The good Cas, the righteous Cas. And as long as they still believe it, you get to believe it. Well, I got news for you, kitten. A whore is a whore is a whore."

Castiel violently shoved Crowley against the wall. "I'm only gonna say this once." He warned. "If you touch a hair on their heads, I will tear it all down. Our arrangement—everything. I'm still an Angel, and I will bury you." He added before he disappeared.

" _I asked myself, 'what was I doing with this vermin?'" Castiel sighed. "As if I didn't already know the answer. Raphael was stronger than me. I wouldn't survive a straight fight."_

~/~\~

Castiel stood and watched Dean and Angela. They were both cleaning up Lisa's yard.

" _So, I went to some old friends for help." Castiel continued. "But watching them, I stopped. Everything they had sacrificed, and I was about to ask them for more."_

"Ah, Castiel." Crowley greeted suddenly. "Angel of Thursday. Just not your day is it?"

Castiel turned. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to help you help me help ourselves." Crowley shrugged.

Castiel rolled his eyes. "Speak plain."

"I want to discuss a simple business transaction. That's all."

"You want to make a deal? With me?" Castiel frowned. "I'm an Angel, you ass. I don't have a soul to sell."

"But that's it, isn't it? It's all of it. It's the souls." Crowley smirked. "It all comes down to the souls in the end, doesn't it?"

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Castiel asked.

"I'm talking about Raphael's head on a pike," Crowley explained. "I'm talking about happy endings, for all of us, with all possible entendres intended. Come on. Just a chat."

Castiel scoffed slightly. "I have no interest in talking to you."

Crowley put on a look of mock hurt. "Why not? I'm very interesting." He replied. "Come on. Hear me out. Five minutes. No obligations. I promise I'll make it worth your while."

" _I was no fool." Castiel sighed. "I knew who Crowley was and what he did. But, I was smarter than him, stronger. I see now that I was prideful. And in all likelihood, I was a fool."_

~/~\~

Countless souls stood in line. The newest arrival took number 6,611,527,124 from the take-a-number dispenser.

Castiel looked around, his brows furrowed. "Where are we?"

"You don't recognize it, do you?" Crowley replied. "It's Hades, new and improved. I did it myself."

"This is Hell?" Castiel inquired.

"Yeah." Crowley nodded. "See, the problem with the old place was most of the inmates were masochists already. A lot of 'Thank you, sir. Can I have another hot spike up the jacksie?' But just look at them. No one likes waiting in line."

"And what happens when they reach the front?" Castiel asked.

"Nothing. They go right back to the end again." Crowley smiled proudly. "That's efficiency."

Castiel rolled his eyes and kept walking. "You have four minutes left."

"What are you planning to do about Raphael?" Crowley asked curiously.

"What can I do besides submit or die?" Castiel retorted.

"Submit or die?" Crowley repeated. "What are you, French? How about resist?"

"I'm not strong enough, and you know it," Castiel replied.

"Ah, not on your own, you're not." Crowley agreed. "But, you're not on your own, are you? There's a lot of angels swooning over you. God's favorite. Buddy boy, you've got what they call sex appeal."

"Thank you," Castiel replied. "Get to the point."

"Angels need leaders, so be one. Gather your army and kick the candy out of each and every Angel that shows up for Raphael."

"Are you proposing that I start a civil war in Heaven?" Castiel's brows shot up.

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Tell him what he's won, Vanna." Crowley smirked.

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "You're asking me to be the next Lucifer!"

"Please." Crowley scoffed. "Lucifer was a petulant child with daddy issues. Cas, you love God. God loves you. He brought you back. Did it occur to you that maybe he did this so you could be the new Sheriff upstairs?"

"This is ridiculous," Castiel replied. "I mean, the amount of power that it would take to mount a war…"

"More than either of us have ever seen, yeah." Crowley nodded. "But, what if I said I knew how to go nuclear?"

"What do you mean?" Castiel frowned.

"Purgatory, my fine feathered friend." Crowley proposed. "Purgatory. Just think about it. An untapped oil well of every fanged, clawed soul. I mean, what's that over the years? 30 million? 40 million? Just sitting there, plump and rich for the taking."

"How would you even find it when no one ever has?" Castiel frowned.

"We'll need expert help."

"From whom?" Castiel sighed.

"From experts, of course," Crowley replied. "I know of a few fashion models with time on their hands."

"No," Castiel replied immediately. "Not Dean and Angela. They're retired, and they have to stay that way."

"Fine." Crowley conceded. "Then I know of a certain big, bald patriarch I can take off the bench. The point is…They can get us to the monsters. The monsters can get us to Purgatory. I know it."

"And what's your price in all of this?" Castiel asked.

"Just half."

"Half?" Castiel repeated.

"My position isn't all that stable, ducky," Crowley replied. "Those souls would help, just like they'd help you. Besides, wouldn't you rather have me in charge down here? The devil you know…"

Castiel paused. "This is pointless. Your plan would take months, and I need help now."

"Granted, yes." Crowley agreed. "But, just to show you how serious I am about this scheme…How about I float you a little loan?" He offered. "Say, 50 large? 50,000 souls from the pit. You can take them up to Heaven. Make quite a showing. It's either this or the Apocalypse all over again. Everything you've worked for—everything Sam, Dean, and Angela have worked for—gone. You can save us, Castiel. God chose you to save us. And I think…Deep down…You know that."

" _I wish I could say I was clean of pride at that moment…" Castiel trailed off._

~/~\~

" _Or the next." Castiel continued._

Castiel used the power of the souls to remove Raphael from the room. "There will be no Apocalypse." Castiel declared. "And let it be known, you're either with Raphael, or you're with me."

" _And so went the long road of good intentions…The road that brought me here."_

~/~\~

Angela closed her eyes and bowed her head. "Castiel, uh…We need you for a little powwow down here, so come on down." She prayed.

There was a familiar flutter of wings. "Hello." Castiel greeted.

Bobby looked over. "Oh, Johnny on the spot."

Castiel looked at the four hunters. "You're still here."

"Yeah, we had to bury the bodies," Sam replied.

"And we found a little whiskey." Dean forced a smile as he held up his glass. "Thanks for coming."

"How can I help?" Castiel asked.

"Uh, look." Sam opened up the book that was in his hands. "We, um, we have a new plan. We think we've finally figured out a way to track down Crowley."

Castiel walked towards them, brows furrowed. "What is it?"

Bobby lit a match and dropped it on the floor by Castiel's feet, trapping him in a ring of holy fire. "It's you."

~/~\~

Castiel frowned in confusion. "What are you doing."

Angela walked up to the ring of fire. "We have to talk."

"About what?" Castiel's brows furrowed. "Let me go!"

Angela clenched her jaw. "About Superman. And Kryptonite."

Castiel's face fell when he realized that he had slipped up.

"How'd you know what I said?" Bobby questioned.

"How long have you been watching us?" Sam added.

"You know who spies on people, Cas?" Dean asked. "Spies!"

"Okay, just wait." Castiel pleaded. "I don't even know what you mean."

Sam scoffed. "What about this demon craphole?" He asked, looking around. "How is it so, uh…Next to Godliness clean in here?"

"And how exactly did Crowley trick you with the wrong bones?" Bobby asked.

"It's hard to understand," Castiel replied. "It's hard to explain. Let me out and I can—

"You have to look at me, Cas." Angela pleaded. "You have to level with me and me what's going on. Look me in the eye and tell me you're not working with Crowley." She added, her voice cracking ever so slightly. Castiel looked at Angela but then looked away. Angela shook her head in disbelief. "You son of a bitch."

Angela turned her back and briskly walked over to Sam, who hugged her tightly—almost protectively.

"Let me explain." Castiel tried.

"You're in it with him?" Dean glared. "You and Crowley have been going after Purgatory together? You have, huh? This whole time."

"I did it to protect you." Castiel justified. "I did it to protect all of you!"

"Protect us how?" Sam questioned. "By opening a hole into monsterland?!"

"He's right, Cas." Bobby agreed. "One drop got through, and it was Eve. And you want to break down the entire dam?"

"To get the souls," Castiel replied. "I can stop Raphael! Please, you have to trust me."

"Trust you?!" Sam scoffed. "How in the hell are we supposed to trust you now?"

"I'm still me. I'm still your friend." Castiel assured. He turned to face Sam. "Sam…I'm the one who raised you from Perdition."

When Angela heard those words, she pulled away from Sam's grasp and turned to face Castiel. "You did a pretty crappy job of it!" Angela yelled, tears in her eyes. She was so angry that she was shaking. "He came back without his _soul,_ Cas!"

Sam tensed up slightly. "Wait." He cut in. "Cas, did you bring me back soulless… _On purpose?"_

Castiel looked hurt. "How could you think that?"

Sam scoffed and shook his head. "Well, I'm thinking a lot of things right now, Cas."

"Listen," Castiel said firmly. "Raphael will kill us all. He'll turn the world into a graveyard. I had no choice."

"No, you had a choice." Dean snapped. "You just made the wrong one."

"You don't understand." Castiel sighed. "It's complicated."

"No, actually, it's not, and you know that." Dean retorted. "Why else would you keep this whole thing a secret, huh, unless you knew it was wrong? When crap like this comes around, we deal with it…Like we always have. What we don't do is we don't go out and make another deal with the devil!"

"It sounds so simple when you say it like that." Castiel murmured. "Where were you when I needed to hear it?"

"I was there," Dean replied. "Where were you?"

"You should've come to us for help, Cas." Angela chided.

"Maybe." Castiel nodded. Suddenly there was a loud sound of the wind. "It's too late now. I can't turn back now. I can't."

"It's not too late," Dean assured. "Dammit, Cas! We can fix this!"

"Dean, it's not broken!" Castiel snapped. "Run. You have to run now! Run!"

Sam grabbed Angela's hand and they ran out the door, Bobby, and Dean following behind them.

~/~\~

Crowley entered the house and stared at the ring of fire. "My, my. Playing with fire again?" He asked, snapping his fingers, causing the fire to disappear.

"If you touch them…" Castiel warned.

"Please. I heard you the first time." Crowley replied. "I promise, nary a hair on their artfully tousled heads. Besides, I think they've proven my point for me. It's always your friends, isn't it, in the end?" He raised a brow. "We try to change. We try to improve ourselves. It's always our friends who got to claw into our sides and hold us back. But you know what I see here? The new God," He pointed at Castiel. "And the new Devil. Working together."

Castiel walked up to Crowley. "Enough. Stop talking. And get out of my sight." He snarled.

"Well…Glad I came. You're welcome, by the way." Crowley replied before he walked towards the door. He paused. "You know the difference between you and me? I know what I am. What are you, Castiel? What exactly are you willing to do?"

~/~\~

Dean woke up suddenly and rubbed his eyes. He sat up and frowned when he saw Castiel appear.

"Hello, Dean." Castiel greeted.

Dean tensed up. "How'd you get in here?"

"The angel proofing Bobby put up on the house, he got a few things wrong," Castiel explained.

"Well, it's too bad we got to angel proof in the first place, isn't it?" Dean asked as he stood up. "Why are you here?"

"I want you to understand."

"Oh, believe me, I get it," Dean replied. "Blah, blah, Raphael, right?"

"I'm doing this for you, Dean. I'm doing this because of you." Castiel replied.

Dean snorted slightly. "Because of me. Yeah. You got to kidding me."

"You're the one who taught me that freedom and free will—

"You're a freaking child, you know that?" Dean snapped, cutting Castiel off. "Just because you can do what you want doesn't mean that you get to do whatever you want!"

"I know what I'm doing, Dean," Castiel assured.

Dean sighed. "I'm not gonna logic you, okay? I'm saying don't…just 'cause. I'm asking you not to. That's it."

Castiel frowned. "I don't understand."

"Look, next to Sam, you, Angie, and Bobby are the closest things I have to family—that you are like a brother to me," Dean explained. "So, if I'm asking you not to do something…You got to trust me, man."

"Or what?" Castiel challenged.

Dean frowned. "Or I'll have to do what I have to do to stop you."

"You can't, Dean," Castiel replied. "You're just a man. I'm an angel."

"I don't know," Dean muttered. "I've taken on some pretty big fish."

"I'm sorry, Dean," Castiel replied.

Dean nodded. "Well, I'm sorry, too, then."

~/~\~

_Castiel sat on the bench. "So, that's everything. I believe it's what you call a…Tragedy from the human perspective." He noted. "But, maybe the human perspective is…Limited. I don't know. That's why I'm asking you, Father. One last time. Am I doing the right thing?" He asked. "Am I on the right path? You have to tell me. You have to give me… A sign. Give me a sign." He begged. "Because if you don't…I'm gonna…I'm gonna do whatever I…Whatever I must."_

_Castiel waited for a moment and blinked back tears when there was no response._


	41. Let it Bleed Part 1

Dean sat with a book, not really reading it. He was still hung up on Castiel's visit. Sam and Angela sat at the table, her head resting on Sam's upper arm and they were flipping through a book.

"Well, you know what, at least you tried." Sam shrugged.

Dean scoffed. "Yeah, fat lot of good it did. Why did he even come, right?"

Sam shrugged and Angela just sighed. Dean slammed the book shut, clearly frustrated.

"Well, Samuel's journals are pointless," Dean commented. "I mean, I'm sorry, but uh, Jebediah Campbell has squat to tell me about how to stop Cas from cracking Purgatory."

Bobby walked in carrying a large yellow envelope. "Well, actually, it's not about the journals we have, it's about the one we don't."

"Meaning what?" Angela frowned.

"Well, that's the bad news." Bobby sighed. "Our pal Cas didn't stop in last night just to mend fences."

"What did he do?" Dean asked.

"Stole something," Bobby replied.

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "What?"

"The journal of one Moishe Campbell."

Sam's brows furrowed. "Moishe?"

Bobby nodded. "Of the New York Campbells."

"Well, uh, so we gotta get it back, right?" Angela asked.

Bobby held up the envelope and handed it to Angela. "Or just read the copy I already made. Hi, glad to meet you. Bobby Singer. Paranoid bastard."

~/~\~

Bobby was reading pages of the journal. Dean walked over carrying three mugs and Sam and Angela sat at a desk with another book.

"I think I zeroed in on something," Bobby commented.

"What do you got?" Dean asked.

Bobby handed him the page. Dean walked towards Sam and Angela, reading from the journal.

"Went to talk to Howard Phillips about the events of March 10th." Dean read before he handed Sam and Angela the other two mugs.

"That's March 10th, 1937," Bobby commented.

"Alright." Dean shrugged. "So, who's this Phillips guy?"

"Phillips ain't his last name," Bobby replied. "It's Lovecraft."

Sam's eyes lit up. "Wait, H.P. Lovecraft?" He asked. "Let me see that." He held his hand out for the paper.

Dean handed it to Sam and frowned. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

"Horror writer," Angela replied. "I wasn't really into his writing, but he's kind of a legend."

Sam looked at Angela, frowning. "You haven't read H.P. Lovecraft's stuff?"

Angela shrugged. "My life is filled with enough horror, babe."

"Yeah, well, I was too busy having sex with women," Dean muttered.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Well, anyhow. There's one notion that comes up over and over again in his stories. Namely opening doors to other dimensions and letting scary crap through."

"You don't say," Dean replied.

"Wait, so you're saying you think Lovecraft knew something about Purgatory?" Angela asked.

"All I know is, Moishe paid him a visit." Bobby shrugged.

~/~\~

Dean was on the couch reading the copied journal. His phone started ringing and he picked it up. "Ben?"

 _"There are men in the house."_ Ben's frantic voice came through the phone.

Dean sat up straight and alert. "What?"

_"They killed Matt. They got Mom. They're coming, I hear them."_

"What are they?" Dean asked.

_"I-I don't know."_

"Did you see their eyes?" Dean pressed.

_"No."_

"Teeth?" Dean asked.

_"No!"_

"This is important, Ben, I need to know," Dean replied.

_"Dean, I don't know!"_

Dean sighed. "Okay, where are you now?"

_"In my room."_

"Can you get to your mom's closet?" Dean asked. "I left a shotgun in there."

 _"No. Dean, what do I do?!"_ Ben asked frantically.

"Okay, Ben, listen to me," Dean said firmly. "Got to your window and jump."

_"What?!"_

"Any bones you break won't compare to what they're gonna do to you, Ben," Dean explained. "You've got to jump."

_"Okay, I'm going."_

"I'm coming right now," Dean assured. "I'm coming to get you and your mom, I promise. You with me, Ben? Ben? Ben?!"

There was silence for a few moments. Dean stared at the phone in horror.

 _"Hello, Dean."_ Came Crowley's voice, causing Dean to put the phone back to his ear. _"Fancy a chat?"_

~/~\~

 _"God, how long's it been, Dean? Since my so-called demise, yes?"_ Crowley asked.

Dean stood up and clenched his jaw. "Crowley, let 'em go now, or I swear…"

 _"Right, right. You'll rip me a cornucopia of orifices."_ Crowley replied. _"Let's get to the bit where I tell you how this goes. Your chocolate's been in my peanut butter for far too long."_

"I am going to kill you," Dean promised.

 _"Oh Dean, ever the wit."_ Crowley sassed. _"I've got your uh, oh what are they? Ex lady friend and not-kid, and I'm keeping them until I'm satisfied that you've backed the hell off!"_

"I'm telling you, last chance to let 'em go easy," Dean warned.

 _"You're adorable when you get all threatening. Don't worry, I won't hurt them. Provided you, Jolly Green, and Bambi stand down. Got it? Splendid. Kisses."_ Crowley responded before the line went dead.

Bobby's brows furrowed. "What's the story?"

"He said Lisa and Ben keep breathing as long as we sit on our thumbs," Dean muttered.

Angela sighed. "You think Cas knows about this?"

Dean shrugged. "We gotta assume he does."

"So, what are we gonna do?" Sam asked.

"I'll tell you what we're not gonna do: sit here," Dean answered. "I'm going after 'em."

"We're coming with," Angela replied quickly.

Dean shook his head. "No, Angie. You, Sam, and Bobby stay on the Lovecraft thing, okay? Cas is already way ahead of us."

"You gotta be nuts if you think we're gonna let you do this alone," Sam replied. "Bobby can take care of the case."

Bobby stood up, shaking his head. "No, guys."

"Bobby, this is a big ball, okay?" Dean sighed. "We can't drop it now."

Bobby paused and sighed reluctantly. "Fine. But how are you guys gonna find Lisa and Ben?"

~/~\~

Bobby drove off. Sam, Dean, and Angela summoned Balthazar, who quickly appeared with a drink in his hand.

"I'm sorry, do I look like a man-servant to you?" Balthazar asked. "No? No? Then quit ringing for me, please."

"This is important, Balthazar," Dean replied.

"I was drinking '75 Dom out of a soprano's navel when you called," Balthazar commented. "That was important."

"Crowley's alive." Angela sighed.

"Well, you've been scooped." Balthazar shrugged. "Cas already told me."

"Well, did Cas tell you that he is Crowley's butt-buddy, you smug little dick?" Dean glared.

Balthazar raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

"Handshake deal," Sam replied. "Go halfsies on all the souls in Purgatory. He fill you in on that?"

Balthazar frowned slightly. "Well, yes, yes. Yes, of course, he did. Yes." He lied.

Angela chuckled. "Oh, yes, of course. We can read it all over your face."

"Look, Crowley and Cas took two people who are very important to me," Dean said.

"And I care about this because…?" Balthazar asked.

Dean sighed. "Because maybe there is a shred of decency underneath this—this snarky crap. They're innocent people and I'm asking for your help."

"Hmmm." Balthazar hummed. "I see. Fair enough." He added before disappearing.

Dean clenched his jaw. "Son of a bitch!"

"Look, Dean. Let's just call Cas." Sam suggested.

"Maybe he doesn't know anything about this." Angela reasoned.

Dean shook his head. "We're not calling Cas."

"Yeah, but Dean…" Sam trailed off.

"We're not calling Cas!"

"So, what then?" Angela asked.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were walking hand in hand throughout the Singer Salvage Yard. Sam had Bobby on speaker.

 _"Lovecraft tried to jimmy a damn dimensional door,"_ Bobby explained. _"Idjit."_

"So, what happened?" Angela's brows furrowed curiously.

 _"Well, nothing much."_ Bobby sighed. _"Except, I dug, and every guest invited to the hoedown, dead or disappeared inside a year."_

"Wow, um, so where are you off to now?" Sam asked.

_"Have a chat with one of the guests."_

Angela frowned. "You just said everyone there died…"

 _"Yeah, everybody Lovecraft invited."_ Bobby clarified. _"Seems the maid had a nine-year-old boy. He was there."_

"So, he'd be what, 83-years-old now?" Sam asked. "Where is he?"

_"Same place he's been ever since the big night. Locked in a mental ward."_

Sam and Angela started hearing a fight inside the garage. Angela sighed deeply.

"I see, um…Well, keep us posted, okay?" Angela replied.

_"Okay, stay in touch. How're things going there? You got a lead on Lisa and Ben?"_

Sam bit his lip. "Well, um, we're making a few inquiries. Slow going."

 _"How's Dean?"_ Bobby asked.

"About how you'd expect." Angela sighed.

~/~\~

Dean pulled the knife out of the now-deceased demon. "Next customer." He snarled. He strapped a demon into a chair over a devil's trap. Dean paced around him with the knife.

"Look, I don't know anything." The demon said.

"Yeah, we'll see," Dean muttered. He walked away to take a sip of whiskey.

Sam and Angela walked in, concern evident on their faces.

"Dean," Sam said.

"Yeah?" Dean asked as he wiped the knife.

"Look, man." Sam sighed. "You're running on what, uh, whiskey and—and coffee and whatever else you're taking?"

"Yeah, and?" Dean asked.

"And we're grasping at straw here, Dean…" Angela replied gently.

"Look, I kill enough of these demons, eventually one of them will tell me where Crowley is," Dean replied. "So, we good?"

Sam paused for a moment. "Well, look, you've been at it for a while, why don't you at least let Angie or I take over? You deserve a break."

"No thanks," Dean replied, walking forward.

"Dean." Sam grabbed Dean's arm.

Dean glared. "Sam, back off. Lisa and Ben, wherever they are, that is 100% on me. And if they are hurt…I'll yell if I need you guys."

Angela sighed deeply and took Sam's hand in hers gently. The couple reluctantly walked out of the garage.

~/~\~

"Castiel, it's Angie and Sam." Angela prayed. "Um, look, we don't know if you're in on this whole Ben-Lisa thing, but if you have any heart whatsoever, bring them back to us, Cas. C'mon."

"Please." Sam continued. "We are begging you, do you understand?"

Sam and Angela looked around, silently pleading for a response. There was nothing. Sam scoffed and shook his head. As Sam and Angela walked away, Castiel stood next to them, unseen.

~/~\~

Dean filled a syringe up with blood. He walked over to the demon that was bound in a chair over a devil's trap.

"I promise you, pal. Start talking." Dean said as he walked over the trap. Unknown to him, his shoe rubbed away some of the paint. "Or I swear, I will rip your skin off, strip by strip. And then I'm going to kill you. And then I'm gonna do it to the next demon. You hear me?"

"Yeah." The demon nodded, his eyes going black. "I hear you."

Dean was shocked. The demon telekinetically threw Dean against a van. The demon broke out of his binds and stalked towards Dean. He put his hands around Dean's neck.

"So, you can stop talking, you miserable sack." The demon snarled.

Castiel appeared behind the demon and smote him. Light flashed from the demon's face as he died. Dean looked up at Castiel in shock.


	42. Let it Bleed Part 2

Dean caught his breath and glared at Castiel. "I didn't ask for your help."

"Well, regardless, you're welcome," Castiel replied.

"Why are you here?" Dean asked as he walked past Castiel.

"I had no idea Crowley would take Lisa and Ben," Castiel assured.

Dean picked up the broken strap. "Yeah, right."

Castiel turned to face Dean. "You don't believe me."

Dean looked at Castiel. "I don't believe a word that's coming out of your mouth."

"I thought you said that we were like family," Castiel replied. "Well, I think that too. Shouldn't trust run both ways?"

Dean shook his head and chewed on his lip slightly. "Cas, I just can't…"

"Dean, I do everything you ask," Castiel replied. "I always come when you call, and I am your friend. Still, despite your lack of faith in me, and now your threats. I just saved you, yet again. Has anyone but your closest kin ever done more for you? All I ask is this one thing."

Dean's brows furrowed. "Trust your plan to pop Purgatory?"

"I've earned that, Dean."

Dean just scoffed and shook his head.

"I came to tell you that I will find Lisa and Ben, and I will bring them back," Castiel promised. "Stand behind me, the one time I ask."

Dean narrowed his eyes. "You're asking me to stand down?"

"Dean." Castiel sighed.

"That's the same damn ransom note that Crowley handed me!" Dean snapped. "You know that, right? Well, no thanks. I'll find 'em myself. In fact, why don't you go back to Crowley and tell him that I said you can both kiss my ass."

Dean walked away and pressed his fist to his mouth, visibly upset. Castiel disappeared.

~/~\~

Angela leaned against the counter and poured two drinks. Sam walked in and graciously took the drink Angela offered him. Suddenly, Balthazar appeared.

"Drinking your feelings, you two?" Balthazar questioned. "I thought that was your brother's bag."

"Stressful times." Angela murmured.

"Well, we need to talk." Balthazar sighed.

Sam frowned. "Why?"

"Because, I know I'm gonna live to regret this, but I'm officially on your team," Balthazar replied. "You bastards."

"And we should believe you why?" Dean asked as he walked into the room.

"Would you believe I had a shred of decency?" Balthazar asked.

"No," Angela replied quickly.

"Oh. That hurts, Angie." Balthazar replied. Angela just raised her eyebrows. "Okay, you're right," Balthazar admitted. "It's survival. You see, I asked Cas some questions and I disliked his answers. He seems awfully sure of himself for a man who wants to swallow a million nuclear reactors. I mean, these things can get a bit Chernobyl, you know? So, voila. Consider me your double agent. Oh, and I took the liberty of searching for your friends. Uh, took a while. Crowley's a clever one."

"You found them?" Dean asked hopefully.

"Well, the upside is yes, uh, the downside is no, I can't get them for you."

"Why not?" Sam frowned.

"Because Crowley's angel-proofed the whole bloody building," Balthazar replied. "I guess he doesn't trust Cas. Seems that marriage is going swimmingly."

"Okay, well, get us as close as you can." Dean shrugged.

"Sure." Balthazar nodded. "But then you're on your own."

~/~\~

Balthazar teleported himself, Sam, Dean, and Angela to the outside of the building that Lisa and Ben were being held in.

"Alright." Balthazar sighed. "This is where I get off. God be with you and what have you." He added before he disappeared.

A demon exited the building, he seemed to be keeping watch. Dean stabbed him in the chest with Ruby's knife. Dean pushed the body over the gate to Sam and Angela, who left the body on the ground. Sam, Dean, and Angela entered the building. Sam carried his shotgun and Angela carried her handgun. Dean was carrying Ruby's knife and a duffel bag containing other weapons.

~/~\~

"Alright, be careful," Dean instructed.

The split up. Dean walked down some stairs. Sam and Angela went around a corner, guns aimed. They heard a noise and turned around. From above, two demons jumped down and knocked them unconscious. The demons carried Sam and Angela away, where they threw them in a room and locked the door.

~/~\~

Suddenly, the door broke off and feel with a demon from the top of the stairs to the ground below. Ben turned away, shielding his face. Another demon was pushed against the wall by Dean, who was brandishing Ruby's knife. Dean stabbed the demon and then kicked the body down. Dean pulled the knife from the body and approached Lisa and Ben.

"Oh, Dean." Lisa cried. "Thank God."

"Still gotta get you out of here," Dean replied. He grunted as he cut Lisa and Ben free. "Okay. Alright, Ben, c'mon, let's go."

Suddenly Lisa grabbed Ben and Ruby's knife. She held the knife to Ben's neck, an evil smirk on her face. Dean frowned in horror.

"Brat's not going anywhere. And neither am I." Lisa replied, her eyes going black.

~/~\~

"Crowley thought you might come, so he had me jump this hot little piece of ass for insurance." The demon smirked. "Can't go losing our leverage now, can we?"

Dean took a step forward.

"Ah. Another step. Free appendectomy." The demon warned. "You know, she's awake in here, your mom." She told Ben. "I can hear her thinking."

"Don't listen to her, Ben," Dean warned.

The demon looked at Dean. "What? I was just gonna tell him that you're his real daddy." She shrugged. She laughed. "Just kidding." She said before she looked back at Ben. "Who knows who your real dad is, kid. Your mom's a slut."

"You shut your mouth," Dean growled.

The demon scoffed. "Oh, what, you're her white knight now? She wished she never met you, Dean. You're the worst mistake she ever made." She smirked. "Second worst, after keeping you." She told Ben.

"It's not your mom, Ben," Dean assured. "She's lying."

"Says the C-minus lay with 10 miles of daddy issues." The demon scoffed. "Whatever gets you through the night, Tiny Tim."

Dean took another step forward.

"Uh, uh." The demon shook her head. "Back off cowboy." She warned. "You know she's begging me to kill you." She whispered to Ben. "She says you hold her back. Never had a lick of fun since you were born."

Dean had a flash of holy water in his hand. "Ben, look at me." He instructed. "Look at me. You're gonna be just fine." He assured. He threw the holy water at the demon and she let go of Ben as she screamed. "Go!" Dean yelled.

The demon went after Dean with the knife. He pushed her against the wall, causing her to drop the knife. Dean kicked it backward.

"Ben, knife!" Dean yelled.

The demon pushed Dean and Ben picked up the knife.

The demon smirked. "What's the matter, Dean? Hit me! Oh, you don't wanna hurt poor Lisa." She laughed.

Dean glared. "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus," Dean started.

"Shut your mouth." The demon growled before she punched Dean in the face.

"Omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursion infernalis adversarii, omnis congregation et secta diabolica." Dean continued. "Ergo draco maledicte."

The demon grabbed Dean by the throat, groaning.

"Ecclesiam."

"Stop it." The demon growled.

"Tuam."

"I'm warning you!" The demon glared.

"You can go to hell, you black-eyed bitch." Dean snarled.

The demon grabbed a straight razor from the table. She let go of Dean and stepped away. "You sure about that?" she asked, stabbing herself in the stomach.

"Mom!" Ben yelled.

The demon laughed. "Exorcise me now. She's just a dead meat suit. Now, what was it you wanted to say?"

Dean paused and looked at Ben. "Securi tibi facias libertate." Dean continued. "Servire te rogamus, audi nos."

Lisa screamed as the demon was expelled from her body. She fell to the ground, blood coming out of her mouth.

"Mom!"

"Lisa!" Dean yelled as he and Ben ran to her side.

"Lisa. Here, put pressure on that, okay?" Dean said softly. He gave her a cloth and put her hand over the wound and she groaned in pain. "I know, honey, I know." He murmured as he dialed Sam. "That's it, it's okay."

" _This is Sam, leave a message."_ Sam's voicemail said.

"Dammit," Dean muttered. He called Angela and got her voicemail as well. "Dammit! Alright, Ben, we gotta get out of here, okay? Ben. Ben?"

Ben just looked on, frozen with fear.

"Ben," Dean said before slapping him. "Hey! Listen to me, I need you to pull it together, okay? You gotta be strong. Your mom needs you right now. Go open that duffel bag, grab the salt gun. I gotta carry your mom out so if anything comes at us, you shoot it."

"But—

"Go, now!" Dean yelled.

Ben grabbed the gun. Dean picked Lisa up and she groaned at the movement.

"Okay," Dean muttered. "The knife. Get the knife." Dean told Ben. They both started to make their way out of the room. "Alright, Ben. Keep your elbow in, gun tight to your shoulder, and watch for the kick." He instructed as a demon walked towards them. "Ben!"

Ben shot the demon and went wide-eyed.

"Ben?" Dean asked. "Ben!"

"Dean—

"Come on, pull it together, do you want your mom to die?" Dean snapped. "Let's go."

They kept walking and there were two more shots. They walked downstairs and heard pounding on a door.

"Dean!" Sam yelled.

"Sam? Angie?" Dean called.

"We're in here!" Angela exclaimed.

Dean gently set Lisa down and shot the lock off the door. Sam and Angela came out.

"Come on, we gotta get to a hospital," Dean said. "Ben, give the gun to Sam. Sam, we need a ride." He added as he picked Lisa up.

Ben gave Sam the gun and they left the building.

~/~\~

Sam pulled up in a car he stole.

"Go, go, go, go," Dean said.

Angela got Ben inside and followed after him. Dean, still carrying Lisa, followed. Dean looked at Lisa's blood on his hand. Ben turned around, worried.

"She's fine, Ben. She's fine." Dean assured. "She's gonna be just fine. Almost there." He muttered. "Hey, hey. Stay with me." He told Lisa. "Sam, you gotta go faster, man!" he exclaimed. "You're gonna be fine. You're gonna be just fine." He told Lisa.

~/~\~

Lisa was lying unconscious in her hospital bed. She was hooked up to several breathing tubes and monitors. Dean and Ben sat on either side of the bed.

"Ben, I'm sorry," Dean said.

Ben just got up and left.

"Ben…" Dean called.

Castiel appeared and Dean glared.

"What do you want?" he snarled.

"Dean, listen." Castiel pleaded.

"What do you want me to say?" Dean asked. "She'll be dead by midnight."

"I'm sorry," Castiel replied sincerely

"I don't care," Dean replied. "It's too little, too late."

"Okay." Castiel nodded. "Well, regardless, I didn't come for you."

"Meaning?" Dean raised his eyebrows.

Castiel walked up to Lisa and placed his hand on her forehead, healing her. "She's fine now. She'll wake up soon. Dean, I said I'm sorry and I meant it."

"Thank you," Dean replied. "I wish this changed anything."

"I know. So do I. All else aside, I just wanted to fix what I could." Castiel said, turning to walk away.

Dean glanced at Castiel. "There's one more thing you could do for me."

~/~\~

Dean walked up to the door and watched Ben and Lisa. He gently knocked and took a step inside. Lisa raised her eyebrows, not recognizing him.

"Hi." Dean greeted.

"Who're you?" Ben asked.

"I-I'm Dean." He replied. "Uh, I was driving the car that hit you."

"Oh." Lisa frowned.

"I just, uh, lost control for a minute, and I just wanted to say I'm sorry." He said sincerely. "I'm real happy you two are both okay. And, uh, I'm just…I'm glad your life can get back to normal now."

Lisa smiled. "We're okay, so—so that's what's important, right?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "Anyway, uh, I'll leave you two alone. You take care of your mom." Dean told Ben. He walked away, fighting back tears.

~/~\~

Dean walked down the stairs and across the street to the Impala. Sam and Angela were standing on the other side of the car.

"Well?" Angela asked gently.

"Well, nothing," Dean grumbled, getting in the car.

Sam and Angela looked at each other before they got into the car as well.

Sam sighed. "Dean, you know, you've pulled some shady crap before, but this…" he shook his head. "Has got to be the worst. Whitewashing their memories? Take it from somebody who knows—

"If you or Angie ever mention Lisa and Ben to me again, I will break your noses," Dean warned.

"Dean…" Angela said softly.

"I'm not kidding," Dean warned her.

Sam and Angela glanced at each other. Dean had tears in his eyes and Sam sighed, closing the car door.


	43. The Man Who Knew Too Much Part 1

_Sam was running from the cops. There were sirens and a police car came around the corner. Sam ran to a door and tried to open it, but it was locked. He kicked a gate open and hid behind a wall as the police car passed. When he was sure that the police car was gone, he quickly walked to a door labeled 'Delivery Entrance Only'. He entered and closed the door behind him._

~/~\~

_Sam entered the bar and looked around. A young woman, Robin, was cleaning the bar. She looked up with a frown when Sam came in._

" _Hey, we're closed," Robin said._

" _Just uh, just give me a second." He replied as he went to the window._

" _Sorry pal, we—we open at noon," Robin replied._

" _Look, you don't understand…" Sam sighed._

_Outside, the cop car passed by again and Sam moved away from the window. Robin's frown deepened._

" _Okay, I-I think I understand just fine." She replied. "Look, I-I don't need this kind of hassle. So, seriously, just get the hell out."_

" _Please," Sam begged. "Please, just give me a minute to think, that's all. Then I'm out of your hair."_

_Under the counter, Robin picked up the baseball bat._

" _One minute. Please." Sam continued as he caught his breath,_

_Robin sighed and reluctantly put the bat down. "What's your name?"_

_Sam paused for a moment. "I don't know."_

" _What do you mean you don't know?" Robin asked, her brows furrowing._

" _I mean I don't remember," Sam stressed. "I don't remember anything."_

~/~\~

_Robin opened a drink and gave it to Sam. "Come on, you're dickin' with me." She scoffed slightly. "Nothing?"_

_Sam shrugged. "I'm telling you. Blank slate." He replied as he took a drink._

" _Well, you got a wallet? ID?" Robin asked._

" _I wish I did." Sam sighed._

" _Okay, well, what's the last thing you remember?"_

_Sam shook his head. "Um, I woke up on a park bench, cops shoving a flashlight in my face, trying to take me in."_

" _So, you ran," Robin replied._

_Sam paused. "No, I, um, I knocked 'em out cold," Sam admitted. "Both of 'em." He added. He saw the look Robin was giving him and frowned. "No, look, I-I didn't mean to. It just happened really fast, you know I-I think instinct or something, I guess."_

_Robin scoffed. "Some instinct."_

_Sam nodded in agreement. "Yeah, tell me about it. I mean, who even knows how to do something like that?"_

" _We'll get you to the ER," Robin suggested. "The—the quacks will hash it out."_

" _No," Sam said quickly._

" _Try 'yeah'. Look, the bats have flown the belfry, you need to see a doctor."_

" _No," Sam repeated as he got up. "I don't have time."_

_Robing look at him, confused. "Time for what?"_

_Sam sighed deeply. "Look, it's hard to explain, I just feel like I-I have to be somewhere. There's something I gotta stop."_

" _Oh, like a wedding? A train?" Robin asked._

" _No, something important," Sam replied. "Something like life or death, like—_

" _Okay, hey, hey, hey." Robin cut in. "Just relax, you know, you-you can't poop it out, so just…It'll come to you."_

_Sam nodded. He noticed something and walked over to a bookshelf. He picked up a book—'The Haunter of the Dark' by H.P. Lovecraft._

" _What is it?" Robin asked curiously. Her brows raised when Sam showed her the title. "You a horror fan?"_

" _Yeah, um, I think so." Sam nodded. "I really think so. Something—something about this…" Sam trailed off as a wave of memories hit. Suddenly, Sam was slumped over, gasping for air._

_Robin ran over to him, concern all over her face. "Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey. Seriously, we are taking you to a Doctor."_

" _You got a computer?" Sam asked suddenly._

_Robin frowned. "What?"_

~/~\~

_Sam had a laptop open in front of him. He found the Nite Owl Hotel's website. "That's it." He muttered. "It exists. Look, two towns over." He added, turning the laptop so Robin could see._

_Robin's eyebrows raised slightly. "What, you think you're staying in this dump?"_

" _Maybe." Sam shrugged._

" _Oh, maybe you're a hooker," Robin smirked._

_Sam chuckled. "I guess I'll find out."_

" _Hmm."_

_Sam sighed. "Look, um, I don't know what to say, uh, thanks for everything."_

_Robin shot Sam a confused look. "Where do you think you're going?"_

" _I'll be fine," Sam assured as he got up._

" _Says the headcase that just slumped over a minute ago." Robin scoffed. "Look, is there any way I can convince you to go to a hospital?"_

" _No." Sam shook his head. "Apparently, I'm stubborn."_

" _Oh." Robin nodded. "So am I." She replied as she shrugged her jacket on. "I'm driving."_

_Sam shook his head. "Look, that's really nice of you, but not necessary."_

" _Really?" she raised a brow. "Okay, look, your eggs are scrambled."_

" _But—_

" _But nothing." Robin stopped him._

" _No, I mean I'm just some guy." Sam reasoned. "I-I could be anybody. You gotta be nuts."_

" _I've been called that." Robin smiled. "Look, if I let you go off alone, I won't be able to sleep at night. And, honestly, I'm dying to know how it all turns out."_

~/~\~

_Sam and Robin walked towards the dingy hotel._

" _So, uh, where do we start?" Robin asked._

" _Uh, ground floor corner room, nearest to the fire escape," Sam replied. "That's the one I'd pick, quickest getaway."_

_Robin gave Sam a look. "And why do you know that?"_

_Sam scoffed. "I just do."_

~/~\~

_Sam and Robin walked past a man that looked similar to Bobby. They stood outside the door of room 107. Sam knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He tried the handle, but it was locked._

" _Hey, you got a credit card?" Sam asked._

" _Uh…" Robin trailed off as she took out her card. "Why, are we uh, checking in?"_

" _Sort of," Sam replied vaguely. He took the card and picked the lock with it, causing the door to open._

_Robin took her card back and frowned. "Dude…Who are you?"_

_They entered the room and looked around. There were various pictures, newspaper articles, and maps on the wall._

" _This all yours?" Robin asked._

" _I don't know. I guess." Sam shrugged._

" _Well, I love what you've done with the place. It's very 'Beautiful Minds' meets 'Seven'." She commented. She frowned when Sam gave her a look. "Sorry, I talk when I'm nervous." She muttered as she picked up an ID from the table. "Hey, well I guess we know your name. Nice to meet you, Jimmy Paige." She smiled as she leafed through the other IDs. "And uh, Neil Peart, and Angus Young. Okay, listen, no offense, but I'm-I'm really starting to freak out."_

_Sam scoffed. "You and me both." He sighed and noticed a newspaper article. The headline was 'SFU Professor Missing' with a picture of Dr. Eleanor Visyak under it. Sam got another rush of memories and collapsed._

~/~\~

Sam, Angela, Bobby, and Dean were walking down an alley.

"Where is she?" Dean asked.

Bobby shrugged. "She said to meet her here. I'll try her again." He replied as he took out his cellphone and dialed.

They heard Eleanor's phone ringing from nearby. It was on the ground next to a dumpster. The four hunters hurried to it and found Eleanor slumped against the dumpster, clearly injured. Bobby kneeled in front of her and Sam, Dean, and Angela stood behind him.

"El?" Bobby breathed.

"Hey." Eleanor smiled weakly. "I guess I could've used your help after all."

"Just be still," Bobby replied.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"They took me. I got away." She replied as she opened her coat. Her shirt was soaked with blood.

"Oh, Ellie," Bobby sighed. "What have they done to you?"

Eleanor chuckled. "Everything. The demon I could've handled, but when the angel stepped in, I-I told him, Bobby. They have enough to crack Purgatory wide open."

"Tell me." Bobby pleaded. "I need to know."

"They need virgin blood. That's a milk-run for them." She sighed. "And they need the blood of a Purgatory native, and well, they've got plenty of that now."

"Have they opened it?" Angela asked.

Eleanor shook her head. "Tomorrow. The moon, an eclipse. I'm sorry, Bobby."

"No, it's okay. It's okay." He assured.

"I'm sorry, really sorr—

"Tell us where they are." Bobby pleaded.

Eleanor opened her mouth, but her breathing became shallow and a few moments later she died.

Bobby frowned. "El?" He asked. When she didn't respond, he closed her eyes.

Suddenly, Castiel appeared behind Sam, Dean, and Angela. "I'm sorry this had to happen," Castiel said as Bobby stood up. "Crowley got carried away."

"Yeah, I bet it was all Crowley you son of a bitch!" Bobby yelled as he tried to go after Castiel, but was restrained by Sam, Dean, and Angela.

"You don't even see it, do you?" Dean shook his head at Castiel. "How totally off the rails you are!"

"Enough!" Castiel barked. "I don't care what you think. I've tried to make you understand. You won't listen. So, let me make this simple. Please, go home and let me stop Raphael." He pleaded. "I won't ask again."

Dean clenched his jaw. "Well, good, 'cause I think you already know the answer."

Castiel shook his head. "I wish it hadn't come to this. Well, rest assured, when this is all over, I will save Sam, but only if you stand down."

Angela's brows furrowed. "Save Sam from what?"

Castiel disappeared and reappeared behind Sam. He touched Sam's temple, breaking the wall in his mind.

~/~\~

_Sam was on the floor of the motel room, breathing heavily. He lifted his head and looked around frantically._

" _Sam." He breathed. "My name is Sam."_

_Sam went to the motel bathroom and splashed his face with water._

" _So, uh, what do you remember?" Robin asked._

" _Well," he chuckled. "It might sound pretty strange if I said it aloud." He added as he dried his face with a towel._

" _Oh, it-it couldn't get any stranger," Robin assured._

_Sam threw the towel down. "Yeah. Don't be so sure." He sighed. "Look, I-I don't know, I mean, it's all pretty spotty, you know? I just remember I was with, uh, this girl, a-and two guys." He recalled. "The girl was…beautiful. Really beautiful. And one of the guys was a…a male model type, and the other was an older guy named, uh, Bobby." He explained as he picked up and address book._

" _Okay." Robin nodded. "W-what are you looking for?" she asked while Sam leafed through the book._

" _Here," Sam said. "Bobby Singer. This has to be it."_

" _Is there a phone number?"_

_Sam shook his head. "No, just an address. Sioux Falls, Soth Dakota."_

" _South Dakota." Robin nodded. "Okay, uh, l-listen, Sam. Sam, right?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _Look, I'm really sorry, but this is—is where I gotta get off," Robin replied._

" _Oh, no, of course," Sam replied, understanding. "No problem."_

" _Okay," Robin smiled slightly. "Well, how are you gonna get there?"_

_Sam noticed a set of car keys on the table and picked them up. "I guess I'll take my car…"_

~/~\~

_Sam and Robin walked out of the hotel. Sam noticed the Impala and pointed at it._

" _That's mine," Sam commented._

" _Are you sure?" Robin asked skeptically as they walked towards it._

" _Oh, yeah." Sam nodded._

" _Look, Sam, I don't feel right about you going off like this." Robin sighed._

" _Oh, look, don't worry," Sam assured. "Y-you've done way too much for me already."_

_Robin pursed her lips. "That's not what I mean. What I mean is uh…I've got a bad feeling, you know, with those IDs and that shady-ass hotel room. Whatever you're looking for, you might not like what you find."_

_Sam scoffed. "What other choice do I have?" He asked. His brows pinched together when he heard a gun cock._

" _You could stick around here a little bit longer, I mean, get your head straight, instead of going off, flying blind into…" Robin trailed off._

_Suddenly, someone shot at the pair. Sam knocked Robin to the ground and the bullet hit the Impala's window, shattering it._

_Robin gasped. "What the hell was that?!"_

" _Stay down," Sam instructed. Sam got up and looked at the shooter. He frowned deeply when he saw that the shooter looked exactly like him._

" _Sam!" Robin called. "Sammy!"_

~/~\~

Sam was lying on the cot in Bobby's panic room, unconscious. Dean and Angela sat next to the cot.

"Sammy?" Angela pleaded.

"Come on, Sam, snap out of it." Dean pleaded.

~/~\~

Dean paced throughout the panic room and Angela stayed seated, combing her fingers through Sam's hair.

"Anything?" Bobby asked as he walked in.

"I'm going to tear Cas apart," Angela replied. "I swear to God, and every deity out there…"

"We can't just sit here, Bobby," Dean added. "We've got to help him."

"Guys…" Bobby sighed deeply.

"You know, dreamscape his noggin." Dean continued. "Something!"

"You two know what Cas did," Bobby replied. "The dam inside Sam's head is gone, and all hell's spilling loose. We don't know what's going on inside."

"I don't care," Angela replied. "We have got to do something!"

"And we will, but right now we got 16 hours 'til they pop Purgatory," Bobby replied. "I'm down one man. I can't afford to be down two more."

"Yeah, and how's that going, huh?" Dean scoffed. "We've got no line on Crowley. We got no line on Cas. Balthazar's MIA. I mean, all we've got is Sam, going through whatever the hell this is!"

"You know," Bobby said, pouring two drinks. "This is exactly what Cas wants. For you two to fall to pieces." He added, handing both Dean and Angela a drink. "Just try to think of what Sam would want."

"Find Cas, Bobby." Angela pleaded. "Please."

~/~\~

_Sam was driving, and Robin was in the passenger seat. He sniffed the air and his brows furrowed. "Do you smell whiskey?"_

" _Okay, Sam, would you focus?" Robin replied._

" _Yeah." Sam nodded. "Sorry."_

" _Okay, so, who shot at us?"_

" _I-I didn't really get a good look." Sam lied._

" _Okay, we gotta go to the cops."_

_Sam shook his head. "No, look, if we can just get to my friends, they can help us. I know it."_

" _Okay, you don't know if they're your friends, okay, you don't know anything about anything!" Robin exclaimed. "Just turn around."_

" _No," Sam stressed. "Look, you're safer with me."_

" _How do you know that? You're scaring me!"_

_Suddenly, Sam was momentarily blinded by a bright light. He slammed on the brakes and the tires screeched as the car came to a stop. Suddenly it was day._

_Sam got out of the car frantically. "What? No way."_

_Robin got out of the car, looking pissed. "What was that?!"_

" _What do you mean?" Sam replied. "It's daylight."_

_She looked at Sam like he was crazy. "Yeah."_

" _It was night, and now it's day!" Sam exclaimed._

" _It was always day!"_

_Sam shook his head. "No, no, no, no, no. No, it wasn't. It…What the hell is going on here?" he muttered. Suddenly he heard something in the woods next to the road._

_Robin threw her hands up. "Okay, so I am all filled up on crazy for today. You know what, Sam? I'll-I'll see ya." She said, walking away._

" _Wait, wait." Sam stopped her. "Hey, hey, hey."_

_Robin stopped, sighed deeply, and turned around."_

" _Get in the car," Sam instructed, gesturing to the woods with his head._

_Robin heard his urgency and complied. Sam exhaled deeply and opened the boot of the car, revealing all the weapons._

" _Wow." Sam exhaled. He propped the boot up with a shotgun and took out a pistol. He cocked it, put it back, and grabbed a shotgun instead. He cocked it and closed the boot._

_Robin looked on nervously as Sam ventured into the woods._

~/~\~

_In the woods, Sam walked with his shotgun aimed. He passed a tree and didn't see that his lookalike was standing behind it. The lookalike walked up behind him and put a gun to the back of his head, making Sam freeze. Sam turned around quickly, and the lookalike, Soulless Sam, grabbed Sam's shotgun and hit him in the head. He emptied the shotgun of shells._

" _My God." Soulless Sam scoffed. "Am I really that gawky?" he asked as he threw the shotgun on the ground. "Howdy."_

_Sam was shocked. "This is impossible."_

" _Cold. Try again."_

_Sam swallowed nervously. "I'm uh, I'm hallucinating."_

" _Warmer." Soulless Sam replied. "But see, normally, you're awake when you're tripping balls."_

" _I'm dreaming?" Sam asked._

" _And someone just won a copy of the home game." Soulless Sam nodded. "We're inside your grapefruit, Sam. Son, you've been juiced."_

" _I-I don't remember anything." Sam stammered._

" _Well, your BFF Cas brought the Hell-wall tumbling down and you, the pathetic infant that you are, shattered into pieces." Soulless Sam explained. "Piece." He pointed at Sam. "Piece." He pointed to himself._

" _I-I have no idea what you're talking about."_

" _Why would you?" Soulless Sam scoffed. "You're jello, pal. Unlike me."_

_Sam's brows furrowed. "What are you?"_

" _I'm not handicapped. I'm not saddled with a soul." Soulless Sam smirked. "In fact, I used to skipper this meat boat for a while. It was smooth sailing. I was sharp, strong. That is, 'til they crammed your soul back in." He explained. "Now look at you. Same misty-eyed milksop, you always were. That's because souls are weak. They're a liability. Now, nothing personal, but run the numbers. Someone's got take charge around here before it's too late."_

_Soulless Sam cocked his gun and Sam ran away. He shot after Sam but missed. Sam continued running, and Soulless Sam continued to follow._

" _Come out, come out wherever you are!" Soulless Sam called._

_Sam ran and his behind a rock next to a tree near a stream. Soulless Sam appeared, and Sam ducked. Soulless Sam smirked when he saw Sam's brown jacket behind the rock. He shot three times. He walked up to the rock and saw that Sam wasn't there, only his jacket. Sam, from behind, shot Soulless Sam in the chest, causing him to fall with a groan._

" _You think I'm bad?" Soulless Sam grunted. "Wait till you meet the other one."_

_Soulless Sam died and a bright light came out of the body and Sam absorbed it._

~/~\~

In the panic room, Sam, still unconscious, started to convulse.

Angela frowned. "Sammy!" She exclaimed. "Dean, something's wrong!"

Dean came into the panic room and his brows furrowed. "Sam!" He exclaimed. He put a hand on Sam's chest and he stilled.

~/~\~

_Sam walked back to the road, where Robin was standing next to the car._

" _I remember who I am," Sam said. "Everything I did this past year. And I remember you." He recalled. He remembered shooting Robin when he was soulless during a run-in with a demon._

_Blood seeped through Robin's shirt and she sighed. "Didn't I tell you to turn back, that you wouldn't like what you found?"_

" _I'm sorry," Sam replied sincerely. "I'm so sorry."_

" _Not as sorry as you're gonna be," Robin replied before she disappeared._

~/~\~

Sam was still unconscious and both Dean and Angela sat near him. Dean had a glass of whiskey in his hand and Angela was running her fingers through Sam's hair again.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Bobby said suddenly.

Bobby was standing with Balthazar outside of the panic room. Dean got up and Angela stayed near Sam.

"Well, at least you mudfish got the angel-proofing right," Balthazar muttered. "How's Sleeping Beauty?" He gestured to Sam. "Angie, have you tried stealing a kiss?"

"What the hell took you so long?" Angela asked from her spot near Sam.

"Honestly?" Balthazar sighed. "I was having second thoughts."

"About?" Dean asked.

"About whether to help you," Balthazar replied. "I was thinking maybe…Maybe I should rip out your sticky bits instead."

"And what did you decide?" Bobby raised a brow.

"Well…" Balthazar pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Dean. "Cas and Crowley are there. That's where the show gets started."

Dean opened the paper and showed Bobby. On it was an address in Bootback, Kansas.

"Alright, well give us a minute to pack up and then zap us there," Dean said.

"Oh, no, no, no, no." Balthazar shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Balthazar, please." Angela pleaded.

"I'm betraying a friend here." Balthazar reminded. "A very powerful friend. We all are. So, I think I've stuck my neck out far enough already. Good luck." He said before he disappeared.

~/~\~

_In Bobby's house, the furniture was covered in white sheets. There were candles almost everywhere, but the room was mostly dark. A small amount of moonlight came through the window. Sam entered the room clutching his gun. He approached the desk, where someone sat, their face hidden in the shadows._

" _Hey," Sam said, pausing. "Hey!"_

" _Oh. Hi, Sam." Tortured Sam replied weakly._

_Sam swallowed nervously. "So, which one are you?"_

" _Don't you know?" Tortured Sam asked as he stood up, his face shown by the moonlight. His face was bloody and bruised. "I'm the one that remembers Hell."_


	44. The Man Who Knew Too Much Part 2

Bobby was packing some things, including a flask of holy water and two angel blades. He took the back and started to walk out. "Time's up, guys."

"Just a second, Bobby." Angela murmured.

Dean and Angela stood over Sam. Dean handed Angela the paper and she knelt down next to him.

"Alright baby, this is where we're gonna be," Angela whispered.

"You get your lazy ass out of bed and come meet us," Dean added. "Sammy, please."

Angela kissed Sam's forehead and got up, setting the paper down next to Sam. Dean set down his gun as well. The two hunters followed Bobby out.

~/~\~

" _I wish you hadn't come, Sam." Tortured Sam sighed._

" _I had to. I'm here, right?" Sam replied. "Out there in the real world, I'm at Bobby's aren't I?"_

_Tortured Sam looked slightly confused. "How do you know?"_

" _This whole time, I've smelt nothing but Old Spice and whiskey," Sam replied. "Figured if I could get back here, back to my body, I could…I don't know, I could snap out of it somehow."_

" _But first you have to go through me." Tortured Sam replied._

" _Why?" Sam frowned._

" _Humpty Dumpty has to be himself back together again before he can wake up. And I'm the last piece."_

" _Which means," Sam lowered his gun and stepped closer. "I have to know what you know. What happened in the Cage?"_

" _Trust me, you don't wanna know it." Tortured Sam replied._

" _You're right." Sam nodded. "But I still have to."_

" _Sam, you can't imagine." Tortured Sam argued. "Stay here, wait for Angie, but don't do this. I know you. You're not strong enough."_

_Sam exhaled. "We'll just have to see."_

_Tortured Sam scoffed. "Why is this so important to you?"_

" _You know me." Sam shrugged. "You know why. I'm not leaving Dean and Angie alone out there."_

_Tortured Sam walked slowly towards Sam. He picked up a knife and Sam defensively pointed his gun._

" _I'm not gonna fight you." Tortured Sam held out the knife. "But this is your last chance."_

_Sam sighed and lowered his gun before taking the knife._

" _Good luck." Tortured Sam murmured. "You're gonna need it."_

_Sam stabbed Tortured Sam in the stomach. Tortured Sam groaned, fell to the ground, and died. A bright light came from his body and Sam absorbed it like he had done with Soulless Sam._

~/~\~

In the street near the building, Dean, Angela, and Bobby pulled up in the Impala. Outside the car, Bobby looked through binoculars at the guards standing around the building.

"I count a dozen mooks, probably more," Bobby said.

"Demons?" Angela asked.

"Angels," Bobby replied.

"Well, how the hell are we gonna take out that many angels?" Dean asked.

"We don't," Bobby muttered. "We'll ninja our way in."

"Awesome." Dean nodded. "Yeah, 'til they hear your knee squeak."

"Shut up," Bobby replied.

"Oh, what, now you got thin skin?" Dean scoffed.

"No, shut up," Bobby stressed. "You hear that?"

There was a loud, repetitive booming sound, almost like the footsteps of a giant. Dean, Angela, and Bobby listened.

"What the hell is that?" Angela asked.

Dean noticed the ripple in a puddle from the vibrations. "T-Rex maybe?"

The noise kept getting louder. Bobby looked up. "Holy mother of—

A large could of demon smoke appeared.

"Get in the car!" Dean yelled. "Get in the car!"

The three hunters ran to the Impala and piled in. The demon smoke flipped the car upside down, then continued towards the building.

~/~\~

After a little while, Dean regained consciousness. "Angie." He muttered. "Bobby?"

Angela and Bobby woke up groggily.

"Come on, we gotta go," Dean said.

~/~\~

Bobby, Dean, and Angela entered the room as Crowley continued chanting. They stood at the top of the stairs.

"Quarum ungulae et dentes, nunquam tetigerunt carnem humanam." Crowley chanted.

Dean threw an angel blade at Raphael, who had his back turned. Raphael caught the blade and both he and Crowley turned around. Telekinetically, Crowley threw the three hunters down the stairs. Dean landed on a table before he was thrown to the ground.

"Bit busy," Crowley commented. "Be with you in a moment."

~/~\~

Outside, Sam, who was now awake, stopped at the upside-down Impala. He was hit by a memory of himself on fire, screaming in the Cage. He groaned and put his hand on his head. He caught his breath and pushed on, approaching the building.

~/~\~

"Aperit fauces eius ad mundum nostrum, nunc, iaua magna aperta tandem!" Crowley finished. After a few moments, nothing happened. "Mm-hmm. Maybe I said it wrong…"

Castiel appeared behind them, holding an empty jaw of blood. "You said it perfectly. All you needed was this." He said as he set the jar down.

Dean, Angela, and Bobby slowly got up.

"I see," Crowley muttered. He walked to the wall and touched the blood. "And we've been working with…" he muttered before tasting it. "Dog blood. Naturally."

"Enough of these games, Castiel." Raphael glared. "Give us the blood."

"You…Game's over," Crowley said. "His jar's empty! So, Castiel, how'd your ritual go? Better than ours, I'll bet."

Castiel closed his eyes and a bright light came from his body. It filled the entire room and everyone else shielded their eyes.

~/~\~

The light slowly faded.

"You can't imagine what it's like," Castiel said calmly. "They're all inside me. Millions upon millions of souls."

"Sounds sexy," Crowley replied. "Exit stage Crowley." He added before disappearing.

Raphael looked frightened and backed up slightly.

"Now, what's the matter, Raphael?" Castiel asked. "Somebody clip your wings?"

"Castiel, please," Raphael begged. "You let the demon go, but not your own brother?"

"The demon I have plans for," Castiel replied. "You on the other hand..." he snapped his fingers and Raphael exploded. Castiel looked at the three hunters. "So, you see, I saved you."

"Sure thing, Cas." Dean nodded. "Thank you."

"You doubted me, fought against me, but I was right all along." Castiel murmured.

"Okay, Cas, you were," Angela agreed, taking a few steps towards him. "We're sorry. Now, let's just defuse you, okay?"

Castiel narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You're full of nuke." Dean frowned. "It's not safe. So, before the eclipse ends, let's get them souls back where they belong."

"Oh, no, they belong with me," Castiel assured.

Angela shook her head. "No, Cas, it's, it's scrambling your brain."

"No, I'm not finished yet," Castiel replied. "Raphael had many followers, and I must punish them all severely."

"Listen to me," Dean pleaded. "Listen, I know there's a lot of bad water under the bridge, but we were family once. Angie and I would have died for you. We almost did a few times. So, if that means anything to you… _Please._ I've lost Lisa, I've lost Ben, and now we've lost Sam."

"Don't make us lose you too, Cas," Angela added. "You don't need this kind of juice anymore! Get rid of it before it kills us all."

"You're just saying that because I won," Castiel replied. "Because you're afraid." He added as Sam picked up the angel blade behind him. "You're not my family. I have no family." Castiel muttered.

Sam stabbed Castiel in the back with the angel blade. Sam groaned, and after a few moments, nothing happened. Castiel pulled the sword out and set it down.

"I'm glad you made it, Sam." Castiel greeted. "But the angel blade won't work, because I'm not an angel anymore. I'm your new God. A better one. So, you will bow down and profess your love unto me, your Lord. Or I shall destroy you."


End file.
